On February 18, 2026 (the 2nd day of the Binh Ngo Tet), the end of the Hanoi - Thai Nguyen expressway, in the direction from Thinh Dan intersection to Tan Long intersection (Thai Nguyen city area) experienced serious congestion. Hundreds of vehicles lined up for more than 5km, moving slowly, causing frustration at the gateway to Thai Nguyen city.
According to records, the time for vehicles to overcome this congested section is up to nearly 60 minutes, many times longer than usual. On the online traffic map, the Tan Long intersection area continuously displays prolonged congestion. Due to impatience, some drivers drove their cars into the emergency stop lane, making traffic even more chaotic and potentially unsafe.
Mr. Do Duc Thai (in Hanoi) said that his family moved from Hanoi to Thai Nguyen to wish Tet. "The distance from Hanoi to Thinh Dan intersection only takes about 50 minutes, the car runs smoothly. But when there were still a few last kilometers to get out of the highway, I was'stuck' for nearly an hour, very tired," Mr. Thai said.
Some drivers said that the main cause of congestion is the unreasonable traffic diversion and traffic light cycle at Tan Long roundabout. The traffic volume from the highway is large, but the green light time is only about 30 seconds, not enough to clear vehicles. Meanwhile, inner-city directions with lower density are arranged with long green light times, causing imbalance in regulation.
According to Mr. Ngo Thuong Trung (in Quyet Thang ward, Thai Nguyen city), he initially thought the accident was serious.
When I got close, I saw that the congestion was mainly due to traffic lights. The green light was too short, causing traffic from the highway to be congested, stretching back to the main route," Mr. Trung said.
Faced with the above situation, people proposed that functional agencies of Thai Nguyen province and route management units soon review and adjust the traffic light cycle at Tan Long intersection according to actual traffic flow; and at the same time strengthen regulation forces during peak hours to reduce congestion and ensure smooth traffic at the city gateway.
The Hanoi - Thai Nguyen expressway is 63km long, invested to shorten travel time between the two localities to about an hour, promoting regional trade. The prolonged congestion at the end of the route has reduced operational efficiency, causing waste of time, fuel and affecting people's travel experiences during the Tet peak season.
