The gridlock, caused by ongoing road widening work and exacerbated by heavy rainfall, has left vehicles barely inching forward for hours, according to India Today.
The chaos began earlier this week after torrential rains lashed the region, disrupting ongoing road widening work being undertaken by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) near Shivsagar. The rainwater turned diversions muddy and slippery, narrowing the already congested road and forcing vehicles to crawl for hours.
“I've been stuck since yesterday morning, around 8 am. I've barely moved five kilometres,” said truck driver Duban Kumar, who was travelling from Odisha to Delhi, while speaking to India Today. “There's no food or proper facilities. We are surviving on small snacks available along the roadside,” he added.
Another driver, Sanjay Das, told India Today that he had managed to cover only 20 kilometres in nearly 24 hours. “No officials have come to check the situation. We are living on tea and biscuits,” he said.
A user on X (formerly Twitter) posted that the jam, now in its fourth day, has caused vehicles to move as little as five kilometres in an entire day.
रोहतास,
बिहार
दिल्ली-कोलकाता हाईवे पर बीते 4 दिनों से लंबा जाम, NH पर 40KM तक फैला जाम
बीते चार दिनों से लगा जाम रोहतास जिले से लेकर औरंगाबाद जिले तक पहुंचा, 24 घंटे में गाड़ीयां 5km रास्ता तय कर पा रही है...@yadavtejashwi @NitishKumar #Bihar #Rohtas #Video pic.twitter.com/NpNG3CL2co
— Gaurav Kumar (@gaurav1307kumar) October 8, 2025
The highway, a key link between Delhi and Kolkata, plays a crucial role in India's freight transport network. NH-19-formerly known as NH-2, forms part of the historic Grand Trunk Road and the Golden Quadrilateral, connecting major cities like Agra, Varanasi, and Dhanbad. Despite its strategic significance, local authorities have yet to take decisive measures to ease the gridlock.
This jam is mostly on the Aurangabad-to-Varanasi stretch. Hundreds of trucks are stuck with no food or water, another stranded driver said.
As the situation worsens, commuters and transporters are urging the NHAI and district administration to intervene swiftly to restore traffic flow and prevent further disruption on one of India's busiest trade corridors through social media platforms.