On the evening of March 7, large traffic congestion spread across Moscow streets. By 18:00, the Yandex.Maps service assessed the citywide slowdown at a high level, rating it around 10 on their scale. The most notable bottlenecks emerged on the ring highways known as the Boulevard Ring and the Garden Ring. These corridors became the critical fault lines of the city’s traffic that day. In the Third Transport Ring, conditions were severely restricted in both directions, making it hard for drivers to move through the center and its immediate vicinities. In the eastern and southeastern zones of Sadovoye, traffic slowed to a crawl and, in places, essentially stopped, creating significant delays for commuters and travelers alike.
On the embankments that line Moscow’s waterways, the situation looked especially tricky. Road segments along Kotelnicheskaya, Moskvoretskaya, Bolotnaya and Sofiyskaya embankments drew attention from traffic watchers and city officials, with conditions described as difficult or near gridlock at peak times. The density of vehicles in these bands amplified the ripple effects felt across adjacent streets, impacting not only local residents but also people heading to business districts and service centers within the capital.
Center city routes such as Neglinnaya Street, Sretenka and Bolshaya Nikitskaya also faced extreme slowdowns. These arteries, which often act as connectors for people moving toward central institutions and cultural sites, became almost impassable at several points during the event. In addition to the inner routes, outward highways experienced heavy pressure, including Varshavskoye, Leningradskoye Highway, Leninsky Prospekt and Entuziastov Highway. The surge in traffic along these corridors influenced the patterns of flow across the wider metropolitan area, forcing drivers to seek alternatives or shifting travel times to avoid peak congestion.
According to reports from the same period, traffic jams on Moscow streets reached a 9-point level of intensity around mid-evening, roughly around 17:00 hours. The assessment reflected the persistence of slow speeds, lengthy delays, and cascading effects that can accompany high-traffic events in dense urban centers. For travelers, the day underscored the importance of planning ahead, monitoring live traffic feeds, and considering alternate routes to minimize time spent in gridlock.
In a separate development, earlier information indicated that an individual in Sochi had reportedly stolen a car after being late for work, illustrating how stress and urgency can sometimes lead to rapid, unlawful decisions on the road. While this single incident stands apart from the broader traffic dynamics described in Moscow, it serves as a reminder of how urban transportation ecosystems intertwine with public safety concerns and daily routines.