An Phu Underpass in HCMC Flooded Due to Heavy Rain, Causing Widespread Traffic Jams

The An Phu underpass, located at the An Phu intersection, a major traffic hub in the eastern gateway of Ho Chi Minh City, was submerged by approximately half a meter due to heavy rain on the night of September 10, leading to its closure for several hours and causing widespread traffic congestion in the surrounding area. The flooded section, about 50 meters long with a deepest point of around 0.5 meters, affected traffic in both directions, from Mai Chi Tho Avenue onto the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressway and vice versa. This is the second time the underpass has been flooded since its opening in February. Following the heavy downpour on the night of September 10, several cars stalled while attempting to pass through the submerged section, forcing authorities to close the underpass. As of the morning of September 11, water had not fully receded, and relevant agencies continued to mobilize pumping equipment. The closure of the underpass caused vehicles to divert to upper routes, resulting in extensive traffic jams at the An Phu intersection, a critical gateway connecting Mai Chi Tho Avenue, the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressway, and other roads like Luong Dinh Cua, Dong Van Cong, and Nguyen Thi Dinh. A representative from the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport’s Project Management Board, the investor, stated that prolonged heavy rain from the afternoon into the evening of September 10 caused surface water in the intersection area to be unable to drain quickly and flow into the underpass. The underpass is equipped with two pumps with capacities suitable for the amount of water generated within the tunnel. However, the excessive inflow from outside overwhelmed the system, causing localized flooding in the middle section. "Since last night, units have mobilized additional pumps to drain the water. This morning, equipment is being further augmented to reopen the underpass as soon as possible," said the investor's representative. The management board is coordinating with the Department of Construction, the Urban Drainage Company, and the Fire Police to pump out water, with a projected reopening by early afternoon on September 11. The HC1-02 underpass is one of the main components of the An Phu intersection project. It is 480 meters long and directly connects the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressway with Mai Chi Tho Avenue towards the Saigon River tunnel. The underpass has four lanes for cars, two in each direction, with a design speed of 50 km/h. It is equipped with lighting, fire prevention, and pumping systems. The construction contract for this section was valued at approximately 342 billion VND. After opening in early February, HC1-02 connects with underpass HC1-01, which is slated to operate from June 2025 at the Mai Chi Tho - Dong Van Cong intersection. These two underpasses will allow continuous traffic flow between Mai Chi Tho Avenue and the expressway, reducing conflicts at the An Phu intersection. The An Phu intersection project commenced construction in late 2022 with a total investment exceeding 3.4 trillion VND. The project features a three-level structure, including underpasses, overpasses, and a central roundabout. The project was initially scheduled for completion by the end of 2025 but has faced delays. The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has approved an extension of the completion deadline to the third quarter of 2027. Source: VnExpress