The Hanoi Department of Construction announced on the evening of 23/12 specific restrictions. On Ho Tung Mau street (National Highway 32), trucks over 10 tons and container vehicles are prohibited from traveling towards elevated Ring Road 3, specifically the section from Le Duc Tho - Ho Tung Mau intersection to Ho Tung Mau - Pham Hung interchange. Similarly, on Thang Long Avenue, trucks over 10 tons and container vehicles are banned from ascending to elevated Ring Road 3, from the Provincial Road 70 - Thang Long Avenue interchange to the Thang Long Avenue - Khuat Duy Tien interchange (Trung Hoa intersection). Vehicles descending from elevated Ring Road 3 to Thang Long Avenue and Ho Tung Mau street may continue to circulate normally.

To facilitate traffic flow, the Department of Construction has outlined remote diversion plans. Vehicles traveling from Thang Long Avenue to the Phap Van - Cau Gie expressway (and vice versa) should follow this route: Lang - Hoa Lac interchange (Thang Long Avenue) → National Highway 21A → National Highway 1A → Provincial Road 494 → Liem Tuyen interchange (Phap Van - Cau Gie expressway), and vice versa. For vehicles heading from National Highway 32 to old National Highway 5, the Hanoi - Hai Phong expressway, or the Hanoi - Bac Giang expressway, the recommended route is: National Highway 32 - Vinh Thinh bridge interchange → Vinh Thinh bridge → National Highway 2C → National Highway 2A → National Highway 18 → Hanoi - Thai Nguyen expressway interchange → Hanoi - Bac Giang expressway interchange. Vehicles from National Highway 32 destined for Thang Long bridge should proceed via: National Highway 32 - Vinh Thinh bridge interchange → Vinh Thinh bridge → National Highway 2C → National Highway 2A → Vo Van Kiet → Thang Long bridge.

Elevated and lower Ring Road 3 congested at Nghiem Xuan Yem - Nguyen Xien section. Photo: Pham Chieu

Elevated and lower Ring Road 3 congested at Nghiem Xuan Yem - Nguyen Xien section. Photo: Pham Chieu

The Department of Construction identifies elevated Ring Road 3 as a vital arterial route for Hanoi. It directly connects three expressways and three national highways, featuring 10 interchanges and entry/exit ramps along the section from old National Highway 5 to Thang Long bridge. Observations and evaluations indicate that interchanges such as old National Highway 5, National Highway 5B (Hanoi - Hai Phong expressway), and Phap Van - Cau Gie have received comprehensive investment and generally meet traffic demands. However, congestion currently focuses on the two entry/exit ramps of Thang Long Avenue and the Mai Dich - National Highway 32 interchange. These points serve as crucial connections between expressways and national highways via an urban road segment leading to elevated Ring Road 3, experiencing significant congestion during peak hours.

Traffic count data highlights the severity of congestion. At the Ho Tung Mau - Mai Dich interchange during peak hours, approximately 800-1,000 trucks over 10 tons and 600-700 container vehicles turn left towards Thang Long bridge. The right-turn lane towards Phap Van sees about 1,000-1,100 trucks and 300-500 container vehicles. Similarly, at the Thang Long Avenue interchange, the right-turn lane towards Phap Van handles around 1,000-1,200 trucks over 10 tons and 300-500 container vehicles, while the left-turn lane towards Thang Long bridge records about 500-700 trucks and 100-200 container vehicles.

The Department of Construction concludes that thousands of large trucks and container vehicles moving slowly through lower-level interchanges, combined with general automobile traffic on entry and exit ramps, significantly increase the risk of collisions and cause congestion on elevated Ring Road 3. This assessment underpins the department's proposal to pilot restrictions on these vehicles during peak hours.

Vo Hai