The Phap Van–Cau Gie Expressway and the elevated Ring Road 3 heading toward central Hanoi were heavily congested at 3:30 p.m., with traffic jams stretching nearly 2 km. This southern gateway to the capital connects to Thanh Hoa and Ninh Binh provinces and is notorious for post-holiday congestion. Photo by Huy Manh
Lines of cars inch forward slowly on the Phap Van–Cau Gie Expressway, as workers returned from a nine-day Tet break, which lasted from Jan. 25 to Feb. 2.
Photo by Huy Manh
The elevated Ring Road 3 heading toward downtown Hanoi is packed with cars moving sluggishly, while the opposite lane remains clear.
Photo by Huy Manh
Long traffic jams on Phap Van–Cau Gie Expressway.
Video by Huy Manh
The road leading to the Cat Lai ferry is packed with motorbikes. Nguyen Chien Thang, director of the unit which oversees Cat Lai ferry operations, said they expected over 70,000 passengers on Sunday—the highest post-Tet estimate, nearly double the usual count.
"The surge in passengers prompted us to run 100 additional ferry trips and increase staff by 30% compared to normal days to manage ticket sales and traffic flow," Thang said.
Photo by Gia Minh
Congestion also hit the sections of the expressway from Nha Trang to Ho Chi Minh City. At 5 p.m., traffic jams extended about 4 km along the Cam Lam–Vinh Hao section, near the entrance to Vung Mountain Tunnel in Ninh Thuan Province.
Traffic management officials reported that congestion was mainly due to the sudden surge in vehicles. Cars traveling in two lanes had to merge into a single lane when passing through the tunnel. Despite the jams, vehicles inside the tunnel moved normally, with an average of over 1,150 vehicles passing through every hour.
Photos by Expressway Management Board, Viet Quoc
Further south, on the Phan Thiet–Dau Giay Expressway in Binh Thuan Province, congestion stretched over 10 km near Tan Duc Commune, Ham Tan District, at around 3 p.m.
A minor collision between two cars partially blocked a lane, worsening the traffic jam. The number of vehicles increased significantly in the afternoon, causing prolonged congestion along several sections of the Ho Chi Minh City–Long Thanh–Dau Giay Expressway.
Photo by Dinh Van
At major intersections along National Highways 55 and 51, traffic police managed the flow by opening and closing entry points, diverting vehicles to National Highway 1 to ease congestion.
Vehicles were backed up for over 10 km near the Dau Giay–Phan Thiet Expressway toll station in Dong Nai Province, with thousands of cars inching forward. Some drivers resorted to using emergency lanes to escape the gridlock.
Photo by Dinh Van
Departing from Lam Dong in the Central Highlands to Ho Chi Minh City at 2 p.m. by motorbike, Sang's family (pictured) reached the Dong Nai Bridge via National Highway 1 around 6 p.m., covering 200 km in four hours.
"This year, the roads were clearer, with only light congestion at some intersections. It was also easier for motorbikes to maneuver through traffic compared to cars," Sang said.
Photo by Phuoc Tuan
