Tet exodus locks up key expressways out of Ho Chi Minh City, causes 10 km gridlock toward central Vietnam

The worst congestion was reported at the Ho Chi Minh City – Long Thanh interchange and the Phan Thiet – Dau Giay junction, two major choke points for drivers heading toward Nha Trang and further north.

From before dawn, traffic built up along the Ho Chi Minh City – Long Thanh – Dau Giay Expressway, particularly between HCMC’s An Phu interchange and Long Thanh. Near the connection with the Phan Thiet – Dau Giay Expressway, vehicles crawled meter by meter as volumes surged, creating a gridlock that stretched close to 10 kilometers.

“My family left Ho Chi Minh City for Da Nang at 4 a.m., but by 8 a.m. we still hadn’t cleared the Phan Thiet area because the road was packed,” said Hung, adding that the same trip normally takes about two hours without congestion.

Heavy traffic also hit the Phan Thiet – Dau Giay Expressway near the toll station in Xuan Que Commune, Dong Nai Province, more than 90 kilometers from downtown Ho Chi Minh City. Vehicles moved slowly along much of the route as the flow of cars from southern provinces toward central and northern Vietnam spiked sharply.

At around 9 a.m., a minor collision between a container truck and a passenger car at the Phan Thiet interchange partially blocked one lane, worsening delays. Although no injuries were reported, traffic police had to step in to regulate vehicles and clear the scene.

Farther north, a sleeper bus traveling from south to north crashed into the median barrier on the Cam Lam – Vinh Hao Expressway, partially obstructing the lane toward Nha Trang and triggering additional congestion, especially near the Nui Vung Tunnel.

With expressways increasingly jammed, many drivers chose to exit onto National Highway 1 at the Vinh Hao interchange to avoid being stuck for hours.

“There was no way of knowing when traffic would clear on the expressway, so I switched to National Highway 1,” said Nguyen Minh, who was driving from Dong Nai to Thanh Hoa.

Traffic police said vehicle volumes on expressways linking southern, central and northern Vietnam were exceptionally high and warned that the risk of accidents increases when drivers fail to maintain safe distances. Officers were deployed at key interchanges to divert vehicles and ease pressure on the most congested sections.

The Lunar New Year begins on Feb. 17 and Vietnam takes a nine-day break from Feb. 14 to 22.