During rush hour in the morning, the traffic is dense on Nguyen Tat Thanh Street - the main route connecting the South with the city center.
The road surface is only about 14 m wide, with 4 lanes, causing cars and motorbikes to jostle each other every meter. The sidewalk, which was originally for pedestrians, has also been turned into a lane for motorbikes.
Mr. Nguyen Minh Son, living in Nha Be commune, working in Ben Thanh ward, shared: "Every morning I pass through here, it takes me at least 30 minutes for a road of only about 2 km. There were days when I was stuck for nearly an hour, having to squeeze in little by little, expressing sweat before coming to the company. The current road is too small compared to traffic volume, hopefully it will be expanded soon to help people".
Not only was there a traffic jam in the morning, but also in the afternoon, the road continued to "breathe". The flow of vehicles from the center to the South takes 3 - 4 red lights to get through the intersections with Hoang Dieu, Ton Dan streets...
A technology car driver said: "We are constantly riding but still have to go because there are no other options. If we go around Nguyen Huu Tho Street - Kenh Te Bridge, it will be more than 5 km away, and that route is equally congested".
Not only is it a "black spot" of traffic jams, every time the tide rises, water from the Saigon River floods, causing Nguyen Tat Thanh Street to be deeply flooded, traffic is already difficult, now even more chaotic, people travel very hard.
According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction, the traffic volume on Nguyen Tat Thanh Street is currently exceeding the designed capacity by 140%, with more than 1,000 traffic jams each year, making it the most congested place in the city.
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction has just proposed that the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee approve the investment study policy for the project to upgrade and expand Nguyen Tat Thanh Street.
The section of Nguyen Tat Thanh Street from Khanh Hoi Bridge to Tan Thuan Bridge will be upgraded and expanded from 6 to 8 lanes.
The project also built an underpass at the intersection of Hoang Dieu 4-lane road and built a new Tan Thuan 1 bridge to replace the existing bridge that has degraded.
The total investment for the entire project is about VND2,950 billion.
The Department of Construction proposed that the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee soon approve the project investment research policy in October 2025, and at the same time assign the Department of Finance to advise on the allocation of investment preparation capital and assign the Project Management Board for Investment and Construction of Traffic Works to carry out project preparation work.
In parallel with the expansion of Nguyen Tat Thanh Street, Ho Chi Minh City is preparing to implement a series of key bridge and road projects to reduce congestion at the southern gateway.
Notably, the Nguyen Khoi bridge - road project, with a total investment of more than VND 3,724 billion, is expected to start construction in November 2025 and be completed in the fourth quarter of 2027.
The project includes a concrete overpass system of more than 2.5 km long, 6.5 - 25.5 m wide, connecting District 7 (formerly) with District 1 (formerly), crossing Te Canal and Ben Nghe Canal.
In addition to the main bridge, the project also built more than 1.1 km of the bridgehead road, the 626 m long Nguyen Khoi service road, and the expanded sections of Hoang Trong Mau and Vo Van Kiet streets.
When completed, Nguyen Khoi Bridge and Road will create a new traffic axis from the South to the center of Ho Chi Minh City, allowing vehicles to move interconnectively between District 7 and District 1 (formerly) across the overpass, significantly shortening travel time.
The Thu Thiem 4 bridge project will be invested in the 2025 - 2028 period, with a total capital of about VND 4,840 billion.
Bridge connecting from Huynh Tan Phat Street (the end of Luu Trong Lu Street) across the Saigon River to the new urban area of Thu Thiem (formerly Thu Duc City).
When completed, Thu Thiem 4 Bridge will shorten travel time between the South and the East of the city. The project also helps reduce pressure on existing roads such as Ton Duc Thang, Nguyen Tat Thanh, Khanh Hoi Bridge, Huynh Tan Phat, Nguyen Van Linh.
