Massive motorway in China brought to a standstill in huge traffic jam

Drivers were trapped in a 50-lane traffic jam

This was the incredible scene as millions of people took to China's roads during a week of national celebration.

Video shows hundreds of cars trapped in a traffic jam spanning around 50 lanes on the gigantic G4 Beijing-Hong Kong-Macau Expressway.

Vehicles are seen stuck in a traffic jam near a toll station as people return home at the end of a week-long national day holiday, in Beijing, China (Reuters)

The reason for the tailback was because of a new toll station in Beijing, which squeezed traffic into far fewer lanes following the checkpoint.

The footage, taken on 6 October, shows drivers and passengers walking between the vehicles, passing time as they wait to continue.

The traffic situation was made worse as many people were trying to travel home for the end of the National Day celebrations - a week-long festival which begins on 1 October to mark the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

Around 750 million people were expected to travel during the festival, which is also known as Golden Week and runs until 7 October. More than 650 million journeys were also expected to be made by road, according to China's Ministry of Tourism.

During the celebrations, workers are given three-days paid leave. The holidays have been in place since 1999 and were implemented by the Government to boost living standards and encourage more domestic tourism.