Starting at 5:30 pm, heavy traffic converging on the former Thu Duc district from the city center via Binh Trieu 1 bridge caused extended congestion. Since cars have been prohibited from using Binh Trieu 1 bridge since 26/8, vehicles were forced to detour towards Binh Trieu 2 bridge or make a U-turn towards Nguyen Xi street (former Binh Thanh district). This, combined with the flow of traffic descending from Binh Trieu 2 bridge, led to significant traffic difficulties.

Traffic jam from Binh Trieu 1 bridge stretches 2 km to Pham Van Dong street, Hiep Binh ward. Photo: Dinh Van

Traffic jam from Binh Trieu 1 bridge stretches 2 km to Pham Van Dong street, Hiep Binh ward. Photo: Dinh Van

As the evening rush hour intensified, the route from Binh Trieu 1 bridge became gridlocked, stretching all the way to Gigamall shopping center in Hiep Binh ward.

Commuters struggled to navigate the congestion, squeezing through gaps between cars and even resorting to driving on the sidewalks to find a way out. The Binh Trieu bridge area is a vital gateway to the city, connecting Binh Loi bridge, National Highway 13, and Pham Van Dong street.

This route typically experiences heavy traffic due to commuters traveling from the eastern gateway into the city center via Binh Trieu bridge. Yesterday, one day after car restrictions were imposed on the bridge, National Highway 13 and Pham Van Dong street experienced prolonged congestion.

Binh Trieu 1 and 2 bridges span the Saigon river, situated on National Highway 13, connecting Binh Duong province, Thu Duc city, and the city center, including the former Mien Dong bus station. Binh Trieu 1 bridge, constructed before 1975, has a low clearance, unsuitable for large vessels.

Vehicles packed on Binh Trieu 1 bridge towards Pham Van Dong street. Photo: Dinh Van

Vehicles packed on Binh Trieu 1 bridge towards Pham Van Dong street. Photo: Dinh Van

Earlier this year, a project to raise the bridge's clearance commenced with a total investment of 133 billion VND and an estimated completion time of 8 months. After a period of construction, starting yesterday afternoon, the bridge has been restricted to motorcycles only, diverting cars to Binh Trieu 2 bridge. The car restriction is expected to last for 3 months.

Dinh Van