Traffic was backed up for several kilometers on Thursday afternoon at the intersection of provincial roads 25B and 319 in Nhon Trach Commune, Dong Nai Province, leading to the HCMC-Long Thanh–Dau Giay Expressway.
Many drivers were stuck for hours en route to HCMC.
Numerous trucks, container vehicles, and passenger buses were immobilized along Route 319 in Nhon Trach Commune, Dong Nai.
Drivers said the closure of the National Highway 51 entrance forced them to take this alternative route to access the expressway.
Traffic was especially heavy at the intersection of Route 319 and 25B in Nhon Trach.
"Since yesterday (Wednesday), this area has been constantly jammed," said Hung, a nearby security guard.
"This morning I checked the map and saw light traffic, so I took this route to enter the expressway. But I ended up stuck for two hours," said Nhat Anh, 31, who was traveling from Vung Tau beach town to HCMC.
Huynh Minh Thien, 50, who was transporting goods to Cat Lai Port in Ho Chi Minh City, used the time to buy a boxed meal and eat inside his truck.
He said he had been stuck for hours on National Highway 51 the previous day and chose a different route this time, only to face even worse congestion.
Ambulances were given priority as other vehicles made way for them to navigate through the traffic jam.
Cars spilled into motorbike lanes, forcing motorcyclists to weave between vehicles. Some bus passengers even resorted to motorbike taxis to get home.
As of 3 p.m., traffic on Route 319 leading to the HCMC–Long Thanh Expressway remained heavily congested. According to Vietnam Expressway Services Engineering JSC (VECE), the agency managing the route, repairs on the expansion joint at Pier P26 of the Long Thanh Bridge are expected to last 15 days.
In August, the expressway is scheduled to undergo expansion along a nearly 22-kilometer stretch.
