125-Mile Traffic Jam Traps Russian Drivers In Frigid Temperatures For Days

An epic 125-mile traffic jam has been holding up motorists on the main highway linking Moscow and St. Petersburg since early Friday, according to reports from multiple Russian media outlets.

The massive traffic jam, reportedly located about 30 miles northwest of the city of Tver, began Friday as heavy snows and frigid temperatures rolled into the region. The traffic jam quickly stretched as far as 125-miles, where it remained until Sunday afternoon.

Although the traffic jam isn’t quite over just yet, officials say that, as of Sunday afternoon, its distance is decreasing at a rate of three tofour miles every hour.

In response to the crisis, the government and volunteers alike have set up roadside field kitchens all along the traffic jam.

Local media reports that some drivers, who were stuck in the traffic jam for two or more days, said that gasoline to keep them warm in the sub-zero temperatures was beginning to run out and that supplies were hard to come by. Other drivers accuse some gas stations of price gouging, although those reports were unconfirmed.

On Sunday, Emergencies Minister Vladimir Puchkov toured the hardest-hit areas, and a spokesperson for the agency offered assurance that everything is being done to take care of the situation.

“(Puchkov) is making sure that all necessary measures are being taken and that all vital personnel in afflicted regions have everything they need, particularly for the warming stations and hot food distribution along the highway,” the spokesperson said.

Footage of the 125-mile traffic jam can be found below.