An astronomically large traffic jam in Beijing, at times exceeding 100kms in length, has backed up cars going into the capital of China for 10 days, and is expected to continue through September. Construction in Beijing as well as roadwork being done on the Beijing-Tibet Expressway are the main causes of the congestion, and the situation has become so bad that local merchants have set up temporary booths on the sides of the road to sell noodles, water, and other daily necessities to the drivers.

In an interview with the Global Times, Niu Fengrui, director of the Institute for Urban and Environmental Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that the Chinese government needs to pick up the pace in dealing with the mammoth infrastructure problems so evident through the incredible traffic jams found throughout the city of Beijing. He went on to add that the only real news regarding traffic in the city is when there isn’t any.

In order to pass the time, many drivers have been finding some relaxing ways to deal with the situation, including playing chess and card games. Although the situation has not caused any major civil disturbances, over 400 police have been placed on the road in order to ensure tensions don’t flare up and order is maintained.