In the latest bout of congestion on the Huai'an section, a truck driver surnamed Huang, told the Global Times that he suffered "double blows."

"Instant noodles are sold at four times the original price while I wait in the congestion," he said.

"Not only the congestion annoys me, but also those venders," he joked, calling for help with their lives on the road.

Wang, driving from Hohhot to Tianjin in a coal truck, had been on the Huai'an section for three days and two nights.

"We are advised to take detours, but I would rather stay here since I will travel more distance and increase my costs," Wang said.

"The number of roads from northwest China to Beijing is limited," he complained, asking "Why should I pay the toll fee?"

The Beijing-Tibet Expressway and the G110 are two of the major routes leading to Beijing.

Some people joke about the enduring congestion on the Beijing-Tibet Expressway, saying "concerts should be held at each congested area every weekend, to alleviate drivers' homesickness."

"We've already sent traffic policemen to work on the traffic congestion," the unnamed official at the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau told the Global Times, adding that traffic police would stay to guide the traffic 24 hours a day until the problem is solved."

About 400 traffic police officers have been on duty to maintain order and to prevent further accidents.

Some critics attribute the worsening congestion to poor road planning and unsuccessful regulations.

"If there's no traffic jam in the city, that would be news," said Niu Fengrui, director of the Institute for Urban and Environmental Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

"Our government should pick up the pace of urban infrastructure construction and spend some of its budget," he said.