Currently, the traffic volume on Ring Road 3 is nearly 10 times higher than the design, causing frequent congestion. Recently, the construction of road surface repair and expansion joints has caused this route to frequently fall into a state of serious congestion.
To solve this problem, Traffic Police Team No. 6 - Traffic Police Department, Hanoi City Police - has issued a document proposing to add a traffic diversion and organization plan, including allowing cars to enter the emergency lane.
For the elevated Ring Road 3 under construction (Mai Dich - Thang Long Avenue section), during the day construction period, cars are allowed to enter the emergency lane to help traffic flow faster.
According to Mr. Do Van Bang - Owner of Sao Viet bus company, opening the median strip for cars to enter is very reasonable because the road is short (2-3km). Along with that, the emergency lane is located on the right and this route also turns right to go down, so it is very suitable for reality.
Speaking to Lao Dong Newspaper reporter, a representative of Traffic Police Team No. 6 said that Ring Road 3 is currently in the process of repairing the expansion joints, so the authorities have announced to allow vehicles to enter the emergency lane to reduce congestion.
The emergency lane was originally designed for ambulances and rescue vehicles... However, in the context of the current heavy traffic volume, the efficiency and performance of this lane are not high. Along with that, people's awareness has been raised, when there are ambulances, fire trucks or traffic incidents, vehicles proactively give way to the authorities to perform their duties. People should also proactively choose other routes to travel to avoid congestion, because this route is normally overloaded during rush hour.
As reported by Lao Dong Newspaper, from March 23 to April 24, 2025, construction units will fence off half of the elevated Ring Road 3 at 9 locations of the expansion joints for repair. During the day, vehicles move on the remaining half of the road; at night, from 10pm to 6am the next morning, all vehicles are prohibited from traveling on the road from Mai Dich overpass to Thang Long Avenue.
According to the design, Ring Road 3 has only two lanes on each side, not enough to free up the current number of vehicles, leading to traffic jams being inevitable. Although this is just a " temporary solution", allowing vehicles to enter the emergency lane will help reduce traffic congestion and help drivers save travel time compared to normal.
However, Mr. Nguyen Cong Hung - Vice President of the Vietnam Automobile Transport Association - shared that the emergency lane is a lane reserved for ambulances, ambulances, duty vehicles... if vehicles are allowed to enter, it will also affect them.
Mr. Hung said that the most important thing is the awareness of traffic participants, so it is necessary to consider opening by the hour, assigning the traffic police agency to preside over and coordinate with the Traffic Inspectorate and other functional forces to regulate traffic. "We cannot take the situation long term to solve the emergency. There must be a long-term, sustainable solution, said Mr. Hung.
