The Traffic Police Department (CSGT), Ministry of Public Security is proposing the Hanoi Department of Construction to study organizing 3 lanes in each direction on the elevated Ring Road 3, removing the emergency stop lane, and at the same time lowering the operating speed and ensuring uniform speed on the entire route.
The proposal was made in the context that the road is often overloaded. During peak hours and rush days, the traffic volume on Thanh Tri bridge and elevated Ring Road 3 is about 122,606 vehicles/day and night, nearly 8.1 times the designed traffic volume.
However, congestion on the elevated Ring Road 3 is not a new problem. For many years, functional agencies have put forward many solutions to reduce traffic pressure on the route.
Accordingly, in May 2020, the Hanoi Infrastructure Maintenance Board proposed to organize vehicle counting on elevated Ring Road 3, the section from Dau bridge to Mai Dich bridge and vice versa. The vehicle counting is to determine the actual traffic volume to study adjusting the operating speed.
By June 5, 2020, vehicle counting results showed that the traffic density on the route was about 2.5 times higher than the standard traffic volume.
Based on data on traffic volume, actual speed, accident and congestion situation, the Hanoi Traffic Infrastructure Maintenance Board proposed to reduce the operating speed of the Phap Van - Mai Dich section from 80km/h to 60km/h.
This speed reduction proposal was not applied simultaneously on the entire elevated Ring Road 3.
By 2024, the situation of vehicles overtaking recklessly, encroaching on lanes, and going into emergency stop lanes on elevated Ring Road 3 will occur frequently.
At a press conference on March 28, 2024, Hanoi City Police said that there are 39 traffic cameras on elevated Ring Road 3, installed from Thanh Tri bridge to Phap Van - National Highway 1A intersection and from Khuat Duy Tien to Mai Dich intersection.
Implementing Decision No. 165/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister approving the Project "Investing in installing surveillance cameras, traffic command and control to serve security and order and handle administrative violations", Hanoi City Police has directed relevant agencies to review and develop plans to install and supplement cameras to handle remote violations on Ring Road 3.
By 2025, the elevated Ring Road 3 will continue to be adjusted in traffic organization during structural repair.
Accordingly, from March 23 to April 27, 2025, Hanoi will organize traffic diversion to serve the repair of expansion joints and bridge deck slabs in the Mai Dich - Thang Long Avenue section. During the day, half of the road surface is barricaded at construction locations, and vehicles circulate on the remaining road.
At night, from 10 pm to 6 am the next day, all vehicles are prohibited from circulating on this section and are diverted to the road below.
From May 12 to July 1, 2025, a similar plan will continue to be applied to repair 16 expansion joints and the bridge deck. During daytime construction, vehicles are allowed to circulate on the emergency stop lane at the barrier area to maintain traffic.
By December 23, 2025, Hanoi City People's Committee has approved a pilot plan to restrict some types of vehicles from circulating on elevated Ring Road 3 during peak hours.
From January 2026, for a period of 3 months, trucks with a total weight of over 10 tons and container trucks will be restricted from circulating in the direction of elevated Ring Road 3 through the Mai Dich - Ho Tung Mau area and Thang Long - Pham Hung - Khuat Duy Tien Avenue. The application time is from 6am to 9am and from 4pm to 8pm.
The Hanoi Department of Construction is assigned to monitor, summarize, and evaluate the effectiveness after the pilot period to report to the City People's Committee.
It can be seen that, from 2020 to now, elevated Ring Road 3 has been continuously researched and adjusted in traffic organization to reduce congestion, in accordance with the actual traffic volume.
With the latest proposal, the Traffic Police Department believes that adjusting traffic organization will help effectively exploit existing road surfaces, ensure safety, smooth traffic and reduce accidents and congestion.
