On June 24, a reporter from Lao Dong Newspaper was present on Vo Chi Cong Street to record the traffic situation when this route was being installed with a median strip to separate vehicles.
Recorded during rush hour in the morning and afternoon, congestion occurred in 3 car lanes at the end, at times a long line of vehicles on Vo Chi Cong Street from UDIC WestLake apartment building to the intersection with Nguyen Hoang Ton Street (about 1km).
Meanwhile, the mixed lane (car, motorbike) is quite airy, making for relatively smooth traffic.
At the intersection of Nguyen Hoang Ton - Vo Chi Cong road, the Traffic Police force is on duty to direct traffic and regulate traffic.
"Dividing separate lanes will ensure safer vehicles, especially motorbikes. However, the situation of additional serious congestion occurred in the 3 lanes for cars" - driver Xuan Manh (Dong Anh) said.
He said it took him 10-15 minutes to get through the 1km traffic jam on Vo Chi Cong Street.
According to records, the sign system on Vo Chi Cong Street is not yet complete, causing many drivers confusion when traveling here. This has caused quite a messy traffic situation on the route.
In particular, the intersection between Vo Chi Cong Street and the entrance to Ciputra urban area often has traffic conflicts between vehicles during the process of separating and merging lanes.
Vehicles moving from the Ciputra urban area onto Vo Chi Cong Street with the intention of turning left onto Nguyen Hoang Ton Street or turning around Nhat Tan Bridge will conflict with the flow of vehicles moving in the mixed lane as well as cars intending to switch to the mixed lane to turn right onto Nguyen Hoang Ton Street.
Mr. Nguyen Van Binh (35 years old, living in Ciputra urban area) said that this is one of the shortcomings on the route.
"Previously, when there was no hard median strip, I drove my car into the lane very conveniently. However, when the median strip is installed, entering the lane is not only difficult but also risks collision with vehicles traveling in the mixed lane" - Mr. Binh said.
Entering the lane is difficult because when vehicles pass through the mixed lane, the 3 lanes for cars are jammed, so drivers take more time to enter the lane. This also causes congestion and chaotic traffic on the mixed lane.
Regarding this, Mr. Binh suggested that the authorities consider and adjust appropriately to make it easier for people to travel safely and conveniently.
The Hanoi Department of Construction said that Vo Chi Cong Street is divided into lanes from the entrance to the elevated road to the front of the waterway separating the river from Vo Chi Cong Street to the Red River dike ( Au Co Street).
According to the lane division plan, the 3 lanes outside the median strip are lanes reserved for cars. The remaining lanes will allow mixed traffic (cars, motorbikes, etc.).
The lane division began on June 20 and is expected to complete all painting work, completing the installation of median strips, warning signs, etc. by June 30.
Commenting on the traffic situation on Vo Chi Cong Street in recent days, a representative of the Traffic Infrastructure Maintenance Board (Hanoi Department of Construction) said that because the new barriers were installed, "people are not used to it", leading to chaotic traffic and causing congestion.
In addition, the construction unit is still in the process of installing a median strip and a sign system, leading to car drivers mistaking the two lanes in the same lane for rudimentary vehicles, so they do not dare to enter.
Currently, the Maintenance Board is still monitoring the traffic situation on the route at different times, and coordinating with Hanoi Police (light control center, on-duty force) to regulate traffic during the construction of the median strip installation and the first days of traffic diversion.
