From around 7 am, key arteries including Truong Chinh, Nguyen Trai, Cau Giay and Ho Tung Mau were packed with vehicles inching forward, while tailbacks stretched for hundreds of metres during peak hours.
On Chuong Duong Bridge, lanes from Bo De Ward to Hoan Kiem Ward were heavily congested throughout the morning.
Nga Tu So intersection quickly became a bottleneck again, with long queues and slow-moving traffic dominating the morning rush.
Along Nguyen Trai Street towards the city centre, vehicles moved bumper-to-bumper, advancing only a few metres at a time.
The congestion was attributed to the simultaneous return of workers after the long holiday, ongoing construction works, narrow junctions and uneven compliance with traffic regulations.
Students also resumed classes, with parents dropping off children during peak hours adding to pressure on roads near schools and residential areas.
Amid the prolonged gridlock, an ambulance with flashing lights struggled to make its way through dense traffic, highlighting the strain on the capital’s road network on the first working day after Tet.
On Nguyen Tuan Road, construction activity created additional bottlenecks.
The Hoang Minh Giam-Le Van Luong intersection experienced repeated congestion due to heavy merging flows during the morning peak.
