Holiday Exodus Jams Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi Roads

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Thousands of vehicles clogged the major exits of Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi on Thursday morning as residents began their journeys for the four-day Reunification Day and May Day holidays. The congestion was severe at the entrance to the Ho Chi Minh City-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway, with cars stalled for kilometers on Vo Chi Cong Street and nearby roads like Nguyen Duy Trinh and Lien Phuong. Motorbikes, forced onto sidewalks, added to the chaos as people sought alternate routes.

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This gridlock comes coinciding with the Hung Kings Commemoration Day, which has compounded the usual holiday traffic. Motorists reported long delays, with driver Le Hoang Liem on the Ho Chi Minh City-Nha Trang route expressing frustration after an hour-long wait. Authorities deployed traffic police and civil defense officers at busy intersections, such as the Lien Phuong roundabout, to manage the situation by setting up separations to mitigate gridlock and chaos.

Truong Van Phung, directing traffic at a critical junction, noted the regular holiday congestion exacerbated by the lack of traffic separation. Meanwhile, vehicles queued near the Cat Lai ferry terminal and on Nguyen Thi Dinh Street, where a car and tractor-trailer accident further complicated the situation. Police implemented contraflow measures at Cat Lai port in an attempt to alleviate the pressure on backed-up roads.

In Hanoi, the scenario repeated with significant traffic jams at the southern and western gateways on Ring Road 3. Drivers endured long queues at the Phap Van-Cau Gie Expressway toll station, with cars moving slowly even beyond these checkpoints. The heat compounded discomfort and frustration as people attempted to escape the stifling gridlock.

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  Adapted by ASEAN Now · VN Express · 30 Apr 2026