Kathrine Frich
The tech platform confirmed the major roadblock around 11 a.m. local time on Friday.
Sometimes a simple traffic jam is just a sign of bad weather or weekend travel.
But when a major highway comes to a sudden halt, people start asking questions. And that is especially true near the home of a world leader.
Highway at a standstill
Eyewitnesses told the Russian news channel Ostorozhno, Novosti and Onet that the M11 highway in the Tver region has been completely blocked off. Drivers soon found themselves stuck in a growing traffic jam near the village of Kolomno.
No one seemed to know exactly what was happening. Traffic police on the scene refused to give drivers any reason for the sudden road closure, according to those stuck on the tarmac.
People simply had to sit and wait.
Clues on the map
The sheer scale of the problem became much clearer when looking at online traffic data. According to Google Maps, the closure covers a massive 90 kilometers of the busy route.
The tech platform confirmed the major roadblock around 11 a.m. local time on Friday.
By coincidence or by design, this blocked section happens to run very close to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s official residence in Valdai.
Different stories online
The independent Russian outlet The Agency reported that Google data expected the road to remain closed until late afternoon.
Local navigation services like Yandex Maps and 2Gis show a slightly different picture to users. They do not list the route as officially closed. Even so, both Russian apps do confirm heavy traffic jams near Kolomna and the town of Okulovka.
Those two locations perfectly match the start and end points of the sweeping closure shown by Google.
Fear of drone attacks
This mysterious shutdown comes just weeks after unusual security measures appeared in the exact same region. Authorities seem to be on high alert.
Back in early June, observers noticed large nets installed over truck parking lots throughout the Valdai district. Ruslan Leviev, founder of the Conflict Intelligence Team, suggested a clear reason for this new defensive hardware.
He speculated that the nets were put up to stop small drones from being launched directly from parked trucks. This sneaky tactic was previously used during an operation known as Spiderweb, and security forces may be trying to prevent a repeat performance.
Sources: Ostorozhno Novosti, Google Maps, The Agency, Yandex Maps, 2Gis, Conflict Intelligence Team
