Traffic backs up along the Georgian Military Highway heading north to Russia. The GMH is an historic route running 212 kilometers through the Caucasus connecting Tbilisi with Vladikavkaz. Since Georgia’s brief 2008 war with Russia in South Ossetia the GMH is the only route across the mountains from Georgia that is still open. It is the key transit route for almost all commercial trucking between Russia and Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey. As other trade with Russia is now restricted by Western sanctions, traffic on the GMH has increased dramatically. Along with truckers, tourists tying to reach the high mountains get stuck in traffic in both directions as Russian tourists are still allowed into Georgia.