As the end of the four-day Reunification Day and International Workers' Day holiday approaches, people from the Mekong Delta are returning to HCMC for work, causing an influx of traffic on national highways 60 and 1.
At around 2 p.m. Sunday, the area near the toll station at Rach Mieu Bridge experienced traffic jams that spanned nearly a kilometer. But Ha Ngoc Nam, deputy director of the Rach Mieu Bridge Build-operate-transfer (BOT) company, said the situation was under control.
Cars line up as they await their turn to cross the bridge. Amid the congestion, vendors crossed onto the road to serve prospective customers.
A bus employee looks out the window to find a way out of the traffic jam as a passenger next to him sleeps through the turmoil.
At around 3:30 p.m., a container truck saw its engine die in the middle of the road, paralyzing traffic. Police were then dispatched to help the truck cross the bridge.
Rach Mieu Bridge, spanning over 8.3 kilometers, was launched in 2009. In the past several years, the bridge has become a frequent "traffic bottleneck" as the large number of vehicles crossing it from the southern provinces of Tra Vinh and Vinh Long often greatly exceeds its intended capacity.
Former Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc last year approved the construction of a Rach Mieu 2 bridge with over VND5.1 trillion ($220.2 million) derived from the national budget.
At the same time, several passengers trying to return to HCMC through the National Highway 1 decided to rest by the road near My Tho City for a drink amid the hot weather.
Several people, including children, are stuck in traffic jams along a 10-kilometer section from Rach Mieu Bridge to Luong Phu Intersection of Tien Giang Province.
An ambulance is seen stuck in traffic at Luong Phu Intersection, located between National Highway 1 and an entrance leading into HCMC-Trung Luong Expressway.
On Monday, the last day of the holiday, traffic jams are expected to heighten at Rach Mieu Bridge, National Highway 1 and HCMC-Trung Luong Expressway as even more people return to the southern metropolis.
