On the afternoon of February 13, people carrying luggage and gifts streamed out of the capital, triggering serious gridlock at key gateways including Khuat Duy Tien, Nguyen Xien, Hoang Liet, Ngoc Hoi and Giai Phong streets.
At around 3.50 pm, traffic at the entrance to the Phap Van-Cau Gie Expressway stretched for kilometres, with cars bumper to bumper at one of the city’s busiest holiday bottlenecks despite control measures.
Earlier, at about 2.40 pm, congestion extended more than two kilometres around the Nghiem Xuan Yem-Kim Giang intersection and the elevated Ring Road 3 near Linh Dam Peninsula. Cars fanned out into five or six lanes, leaving almost no room for motorbikes.
On Nghiem Xuan Yem Street, motorists filled every available gap, squeezing riders and worsening the situation. Nguyen Dong, 34, from Ninh Binh Province, said drivers were “filling every gap,” making it increasingly difficult and unsafe for motorcyclists.
Hundreds of vehicles crawled along Ngoc Hoi Street outside Nuoc Ngam Bus Station, where traffic police were deployed at key intersections and congestion hotspots to direct flows and ease the journey home.
Lang Street, a major Hanoi artery, experienced prolonged gridlock throughout the day due to its narrow carriageway and heavy volume in the run-up to Tet.
On Ring Road 2 between Truong Chinh and Nga Tu So, traffic became tangled as cars and motorbikes endured four to five traffic light cycles before clearing intersections.
The Nga Tu So area was repeatedly overwhelmed by the sheer number of vehicles, leading to severe congestion at various times.
On Khuat Duy Tien Street, many motorcyclists mounted pavements in an attempt to escape the jam, while others were hemmed in on all sides by cars as the capital’s roads struggled under the pre-Tet exodus.
Many motorcyclists mounted the pavements in a bid to escape the congestion.
Motorcyclists were hemmed in on all sides by cars.
