logjam

/ˈlɔɡˌdʒæm/
noun
  1. A situation in which progress is blocked because too many things are stuck or cannot move forward.
    • There was a logjam in the legislature, with both sides refusing to compromise.
    • The project hit a logjam when no one could agree on the budget.
    • The traffic logjam on the highway lasted for hours after the accident.
  2. A pile of floating logs that are stuck together and block a river or stream.
    • Workers used chainsaws to break up the logjam so the river could flow freely.
    • The beavers built a dam that created a logjam in the creek.
    • After the storm, a huge logjam formed near the bridge, causing flooding upstream.