Traffic jams at Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City gateways before 4-day holiday

With a four-day holiday approaching, many residents left the cities immediately after work, causing prolonged traffic congestion on major routes leading out of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

On the afternoon of 31/12 in Hanoi, the last workday before the four-day New Year holiday, routes leading out of the city experienced extensive traffic jams. Vehicles moved bumper-to-bumper on Ring Road 3 starting from 16h. Photo: Pham Chieu.

Truong Chinh Street was packed with vehicles below Ring Road 2, heading towards Giai Phong and Vinh Tuy Bridge. Photo: Pham Chieu.

On Ngoc Hoi Street, large trucks had to wait for about 30 minutes to reach the turn-off for the Phap Van - Cau Giex expressway. Photo: Pham Chieu.

Pedestrians weaved through the flow of vehicles in front of Nuoc Ngam bus station. Photo: Pham Chieu.

The beginning of the Phap Van expressway, heading into the city center, also saw congestion due to an intersection below the overpass, with a long line of vehicles in one direction heading towards the Hanoi - Hai Phong expressway. Photo: Pham Chieu.

On Mai Chi Tho Avenue, container trucks and 4-7 seat cars formed lines extending for nearly one kilometer, inching slowly through the intersection. Meanwhile, on the Long Thanh - Dau Giay expressway, cars also queued for long periods, waiting to move. Photo: Gia Minh.

Thousands of vehicles inched forward at the Tan Son Nhat airport gateway on the afternoon of 31/12 at 15h. Photo: Thanh Tung.

In Ho Chi Minh City, the eastern gateway, specifically the An Phu intersection, experienced a significant increase in vehicle volume from around 16h. Congestion was primarily concentrated on Mai Chi Tho Avenue and Luong Dinh Cua Street. This area typically has high traffic density because it connects the Long Thanh – Dau Giay expressway and the route to Cat Lai port; now, it faces additional pressure as residents begin to leave the city for the holiday.

Compared to some holidays in previous years, the traffic situation was not overly severe. The An Phu intersection is currently undergoing a three-level project, with the flyover connecting the Long Thanh – Dau Giay expressway to Mai Chi Tho Avenue largely complete. However, since the structure is not yet open to traffic, congestion remains an issue. On Mai Chi Tho Avenue, container trucks and 4-7 seat cars formed lines extending for nearly one kilometer, moving slowly through the intersection.

On the Long Thanh – Dau Giay expressway, cars also formed long queues, waiting to move. Over five kilometers away, the Cat Lai ferry, which connects Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai, was clear this afternoon, with only slight congestion at both ends of the terminal.

Nguyen Chien Thang, director of the Thanh Nien Xung Phong Ferry Management Enterprise, which manages the Cat Lai ferry terminal, stated that passenger volume is expected to increase significantly starting tomorrow, estimated to reach 50,000 trips. The peak day is projected to be 4/1, with over 52,000 ferry trips, an increase of nearly 10,000 compared to a normal day. Photo: Gia Minh.

After the last workday of 2025, thousands of motorcyclists rushed to return to their hometowns, causing prolonged congestion on Kinh Duong Vuong Street, leading to the An Lac roundabout, the gateway to the Mekong Delta.

The high density of motorcycles, combined with numerous passenger coaches departing from the Mien Tay bus station, made the main road connecting the suburban areas of Ho Chi Minh City to the Mekong Delta extremely crowded. Vehicles had to inch forward. At the An Lac roundabout, many traffic police officers were stationed at various intersections to regulate traffic and mitigate congestion. Photo: Dinh Van.