Traffic jam stretches 3 km on Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh expressway during holiday

Heavy traffic caused a three-hour tailback on Mai Chi Tho road leading to the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay expressway, forcing traffic police to intermittently close the expressway entrance.

From 6 a.m., a large volume of traffic converged on the expressway from Mai Chi Tho Road, at its intersection with Vo Nguyen Giap Street (An Phu Ward, former Thu Duc City). The sheer number of vehicles packed the seven lanes. This route, which leads to the An Phu interchange and the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay expressway, is prone to congestion during holidays.

A long queue of cars on Mai Chi Tho road leading to the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay expressway via the An Phu interchange. Photo: Dinh Van

A long queue of cars on Mai Chi Tho road leading to the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay expressway via the An Phu interchange. Photo: Dinh Van

Tuan Hung, driving a seven-seat car with his family to Phan Thiet, was caught in the gridlock, inching forward slowly. He said the 3 km stretch from the beginning of Mai Chi Tho road to the An Phu interchange took him over 20 minutes.

"Holiday traffic is inevitable. If you want to travel, you have to accept double the usual driving time," Hung said.

Traffic police blocked the expressway entrance, diverting vehicles back to Mai Chi Tho road to take Hanoi Highway. Photo: Dinh Van

Traffic police blocked the expressway entrance, diverting vehicles back to Mai Chi Tho road to take Hanoi Highway. Photo: Dinh Van

Due to the excessive traffic, traffic police stationed at the An Phu interchange entrance intermittently closed the access to alleviate congestion on the expressway. Many cars were forced to turn back onto Mai Chi Tho Road to take Hanoi Highway. This added to the congestion, clashing with vehicles exiting the expressway onto Mai Chi Tho Road.

Roads at the eastern gateway of Ho Chi Minh City, such as: Mai Chi Tho, Vo Chi Cong, An Phu interchange, and Vo Nguyen Giap, frequently experience traffic jams during holidays due to increased travel demand. The Ho Chi Minh City Traffic Police Department advises people to check schedules and stay updated on traffic conditions through media outlets to choose appropriate routes. If caught in a traffic jam, drivers should comply with traffic officers' directions.