10-km traffic jam paralyzes Ho Chi Minh City eastern gateway as National Day holiday kicks off

Traffic was gridlocked on Ring Road 2, An Phu Interchange and access roads to the Ho Chi Minh City–Long Thanh–Dau Giay Expressway, with vehicles crawling along several sections on Saturday. At 8 a.m. on Saturday, the first of five consecutive days off for Vietnam’s National Day on Sept. 2, traffic congestion on Vo Chi Cong Street stretched for approximately 10 km between the My Thuy Interchange and Phu Huu Bridge. Both directions heading toward central Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai City were densely packed with vehicles, forcing traffic to a crawl. The sharp surge in volume occurred because the route serves as a vital link connecting the city’s eastern areas to the Ho Chi Minh City–Long Thanh–Dau Giay Expressway. Vehicles packed tightly at the Phu Huu Roundabout, inching through the intersection a few meters at a time while police deployed to regulate the gridlock. Vehicles packed tightly at the Phu Huu Roundabout, inching through the intersection a few meters at a time while police deployed to regulate the gridlock. Vehicles packed tightly at the Phu Huu Roundabout, inching through the intersection a few meters at a time while police deployed to regulate the gridlock. Vehicles remained stuck on Ring Road 2. A driver named Nguyen Gia Doan, 37, traveling to Phu Yen in the central region, said it took him more than an hour to drive five kilometers as traffic frequently ground to a complete halt. Nguyen Tien Phuong (left photo), and many other drivers repeatedly stepped out of their vehicles to survey the gridlock. Phuong noted that while the Ring Road 2 connection to the expressway frequently jams during holidays, it remains the most convenient route to the eastern provinces. The prolonged congestion forced many ride-hailing drivers to pull over, dropping off passengers midway through their journeys along Ring Road 2. All lanes were packed with cars, forcing many motorcyclists to drive onto the roadside near Lien Phuong Roundabout. Ropes were installed at Lien Phuong Roundabout to prevent cars from making left and right turns and reduce traffic conflicts at the intersection. Traffic congestion on Ring Road 2 seen from above. Video by Quynh Tran Cars formed tightly packed lines on Phu My Bridge, often barely moving. Traffic police regulated the flow from a distance, restricting vehicles traveling from the former District 7 in the city's south from entering the congested zone. A sharp increase in container trucks accessing the port combined with expressway-bound traffic to overwhelm Vo Chi Cong Street on Ring Road 2. Traffic in the opposite direction, traveling from the former Thu Duc City in the city's east toward the former District 7, remained relatively light. At noon on Aug. 29, traffic on the Ho Chi Minh City–Long Thanh–Dau Giay Expressway was moving slowly along a roughly 2-km stretch near the interchange with the Phan Thiet–Dau Giay Expressway, which leads to the beach town of Phan Thiet. The situation was quite the same in Hanoi, as traffic began building up around 9 a.m. on Saturday on Thanh Tri Bridge toward National Highway 5 and the Hanoi-Hai Phong Expressway. Heavy congestion choked both the elevated ring road and Do Muoi Street, creating a gridlock that stretched nearly five kilometers from the Tam Trinh area. Traffic backed up for about three kilometers on Vinh Tuy Bridge toward Long Bien. Driver Tran The Nam said the congestion began around 8 a.m. and lasted through noon with no signs of easing. Traffic volume surged on elevated Ring Road 3 toward the Phap Van-Cau Gie Expressway beginning at 5:30 a.m., though congestion around the entrance had cleared by 8 a.m.