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French Border Checks Are Stranding Brits In Massive Traffic Jams

Heightened security is causing extreme traffic jams for Brits crossing the channel from the Port of Dover to France.

French Border Checks Are Stranding Brits In Massive Traffic Jams
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Vacation season traffic is never fun, and thousands of British travelers are learning that the hard way.

French border checks have caused traffic to back up for days — literally — as families and other motorists head to the Port of Dover in southeastern U.K. From Dover, motorists can load onto ferries to cross the English Channel to arrive in France. 

The local highway system tweeted that wait times on Saturday for some routes could reach up to 12 hours. Some people even had to sleep overnight in their cars because roadways were at a standstill.

The massive traffic jam is an aftereffect of the terror attacks in Paris and Nice. There has been an extended state of emergency since last November, when terrorists killed and injured hundreds of people in the country's capital.

SEE MORE: Attack In Nice: Suspect Had Help From Accomplices, Planned Ahead

In an effort to protect the public, the French government upped security measures for those traveling from the port to France. 

As of Sunday afternoon, wait times to get through border control were estimated to be between 112 and 305 minutes

This video includes clips from Sky NewsBBC and Instagram and images from Getty Images. Music provided courtesy of APM Music.