On the morning of September 4, traffic at the eastern gateway of Ho Chi Minh City was seriously congested when students returned to school to prepare for the new school year, parents took their children to school and combined with the flow of people to the center to work.
From more than 7am, thousands of vehicles lined up on National Highway 13 to enter the city center. While Binh Trieu 1 Bridge is still temporarily suspended for traffic for repairs, the traffic volume is forced to Binh Trieu 2 Bridge, which has only 2 lanes left for vehicles to enter the inner city.
The congestion became more serious when the flow of vehicles from National Highway 13 collided with the flow of vehicles from Binh Loi Bridge (Pham Van Dong Street). Not only Binh Trieu 1 and 2 bridges, the entire Pham Van Dong route this morning is also packed with vehicles, moving slowly from Binh Trieu intersection to Binh Loi bridge.
Mr. Nguyen Van Dung (40 years old, living in Tam Binh ward, Ho Chi Minh City) shared: "Yesterday was a serious traffic jam but this morning it was even more serious. At times, the line of vehicles stood still for nearly 20 minutes and could not move. The father and son left at 6:30 but had not been able to cross Binh Trieu Bridge for nearly an hour. Pham Van Dong Street is also jammed, and you can't get out even if you go around."
Traffic police and youth volunteers were present early to regulate at hot spots such as Binh Trieu 1 and 2 bridges, Binh Trieu intersection and along Pham Van Dong route. However, due to the sudden increase in the number of vehicles, the congestion still lasted until nearly 9am, greatly affecting the travel of students and workers.
