Traffic Chaos Near HCMC: Roadwork and Accidents Cause 10km Gridlock

On the morning of September 25, a major traffic jam, extending up to 10km, occurred near Ho Chi Minh City on Vo Chi Cong Street (Ring Road 2) and the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressway. The congestion was caused by road construction and a multi-vehicle pile-up. Vo Chi Cong Street experienced a traffic standstill of nearly 5km, from the Phu Huu roundabout to Phu Huu Bridge, significantly slowing traffic flow towards the city center and Dong Nai province. This road is a crucial connector for the eastern part of the city to the expressway, with already high vehicle volumes. The primary reason for the jam was the closure of an entry lane to the Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressway, heading towards Ho Chi Minh City, for road repairs since 6 AM. According to a representative from Vietnam Expressway Services Engineering Joint Stock Company (VEC E), recent heavy rains had damaged sections of the B1 ramp, near the Ring Road 2 junction, which is used by vehicles traveling from Long Thanh towards Phu My Bridge. The road surface was eroded, forming large potholes, some measuring nearly 10 square meters and 30cm deep, which turned into pools of water during the rain. During the construction period, vehicles are being rerouted to the B2 ramp, from Long Thanh towards Lien Phuong roundabout. The repair work is expected to be completed by September 28. On the expressway itself, a 5km traffic jam formed on the section from Dong Nai province towards Ho Chi Minh City, near the junction with Vo Chi Cong Street. This was due to a chain collision involving a truck, a container truck, and a 7-seater car. Tran Quang Trung, a truck driver transporting goods from Dong Nai to Samsung's factory in the High-Tech Park (formerly District 9), reported being stuck for over an hour passing the accident scene. He planned to exit the expressway onto Vo Chi Cong Street but found the intersection completely gridlocked. Seeing that Vo Chi Cong Street towards the High-Tech Park was also jammed, he noted the extreme inconvenience of traveling in the area. Authorities temporarily directed traffic from the Long Thanh Expressway towards the Lien Phuong roundabout to descend onto Ring Road 2 into Ho Chi Minh City. Security personnel were present at the Lien Phuong roundabout to assist with traffic control, temporarily blocking a car lane to manage the flow. Ms. Doan Thanh Thuy Trang (41 years old), traveling by bus from Bien Hoa to take her child to school in Ho Chi Minh City, expressed anxiety, stating, "Every time I pass the Lien Phuong roundabout to take my child to class, I feel nervous because there are so many large vehicles." Source: VnExpress