China traffic jam vanishes overnight?
(Read article summary)The China traffic jam that has awed the world this week essentially vanished overnight, according to some Western media outlets. But that's not likely to mean smooth driving anytime soon.
Beijing
On the 12th day, the road was cleared?
The China traffic jam that clogged over 60 miles along Beijing-Tibet highway for almost two weeks between Beijing and Hebei province has “vanished,” according to reports from MSNBC and the French news agency, AFP.
“Virtually overnight, local authorities had managed to disperse the congestion,” writes Adrienne Mong of MSNBC. “By the time we reached the area, all we encountered were the garden-variety traffic jams here and there.”
IN PICTURES: China's huge traffic jam
AFP reporters also ventured the 260 kilometers to inspect the congested zone and “did not encounter anything but intermittent traffic jams at toll booths.”
If the reports are accurate, does this mean smooth sailing for travelers along China’s G110 National Expressway from now on?
Not likely.
Not with coal production in Inner Mongolia steadily on the rise and a growing appetite for it in Beijing, not with construction on the G110 highway set to continue until at least mid-September, and not with this being the second of such bizarre incidents in the same region in two months.
In fact, though a bit on the extreme side, the 11-day traffic jam mirrors similar incidents that occur frequently and regularly across the country, most of which last anywhere between a few hours to a few days.
