Hanoi, HCMC expressways congested as people return from Tet holiday

Many people from distant provinces began returning to Hanoi and HCMC on Saturday, the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, and one day before the nine-day holiday ends.

On the Phap Van–Ninh Binh Expressway, several sections through Ha Nam and Ninh Binh provinces that border Hanoi experienced heavy congestion.

Traffic was particularly slow along a 2-3 km stretch near Thanh Liem District and the Vuc Vong intersection in Ha Nam, with some vehicles taking over 30 minutes to pass through.

In Thuong Tin District of Hanoi, about 20 km from the capital's Giap Bat Bus Station, heavy traffic forced cars to move at a crawl.

 

 

Hanoi, HCMC expressways congested as people return from Tet holiday

Lượng xe đổ về cao tốc Pháp Vân - Cầu Giẽ tăng mạnh

Hoang Van, who left Trieu Son District in Thanh Hoa Province around noon, said her usual three-hour trip to Hanoi was significantly delayed. By the same time in Saturday afternoon, her car was still stuck on the expressway, over 20 km from Giap Bat Station.

Staring at the long line of slowly moving cars heading into the city center, she anticipated that if traffic jams at key gateways to the capital or along Ring Road 3 were as severe as in previous years, it could take another two hours just to reach her home in Nam Tu Liem District from the bus station.

Vu Ngoc Oanh, deputy general director of BOT Phap Van–Cau Gie Company, said traffic on the Phap Van–Cau Gie Expressway through Hanoi's Thuong Tin District surged to an estimated 130,000 vehicles on Saturday, compared to the Tet holiday average of 105,000–110,000 vehicles per day.

The expressway has three lanes in each direction, with speed limits ranging from 60 to 100 km/h while the Cau Gie–Ninh Binh Expressway, which runs through Ha Nam and Ninh Binh, has only two lanes in each direction, with a maximum speed limit of 120 km/h.

In the south central province of Ninh Thuan, traffic heading south became backed up for about 5 km on the Cam Lam–Vinh Hao expressway near the Nui Vung Tunnel in Thuan Nam District.

The sharp increase in vehicle volume caused congestion, as the road narrows from two lanes with a 90 km/h speed limit to a single lane with a 70 km/h limit inside the tunnel.

 

 

Hanoi, HCMC expressways congested as people return from Tet holiday

Người dân đổ về sau Tết, cửa ngõ Hà Nội, TP HCM ùn ứ

Heavy traffic also caused severe slowdowns on the Ho Chi Minh City–Long Thanh–Dau Giay Expressway, which connects HCMC with southeastern provinces. Congestion was particularly heavy at the An Phu intersection and the expressway access road in Thu Duc City.

Earlier in the day, a collision involving four cars on this expressway led to a lengthy traffic jam. To alleviate the situation, authorities temporarily closed the entrance to the expressway from National Highway 51.

A line of cars on the HCMC - Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressway on Feb. 1, 2025. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran

At the western gateway of HCMC, traffic was congested on National Highway 1 from Binh Dien Bridge towards Long An due to the influx of people returning to the city from the Mekong Delta.

Cars and motorbikes moved slowly toward the city center at intersections with Doan Nguyen Tuan and Nguyen Huu Tri streets, while traffic in the opposite direction remained clear.

As the main route connecting HCMC to the Mekong Delta provinces, National Highway 1 through Binh Chanh District often experiences congestion before and after holidays, especially during Tet.

Traffic jam on National Highway 1 from Binh Dien Bridge towards Long An on Feb. 1, 2025. Photo by Gia Minh

"I returned to the city early to have some time to rest on Sunday before going back to work on Monday, but the hot weather and traffic jams on the way from Tien Giang to the city left me quite exhausted," said 39-year-old Bui Van Thang.

To ease congestion, traffic lights at intersections along National Highway 1 have been adjusted to extend green light durations for vehicles traveling straight.

Vietnam enjoys a nine-day Tet break from Jan. 25 to Feb. 2.