Hanoi Streets Gridlocked as Holiday Exodus Begins

Hanoi's streets became a sea of stalled vehicles on the afternoon of August 28, as a mass exodus of residents heading home for the upcoming September 2 holiday overwhelmed the capital's infrastructure. Major routes like the elevated Ring Road 3, Nguyen Trai, Nguyen Xien, and Tay Son streets saw traffic grind to a near halt.

Vehicles on the elevated highway were forced to inch forward, with some drivers resorting to using emergency lanes to bypass the gridlock. The situation was mirrored on the southbound lanes of Ring Road 3, where congestion pushed cars onto Nguyen Xien street, creating further bottlenecks. What typically takes 5 minutes to traverse a section of Nguyen Trai and Nguyen Xien now stretched to 20-25 minutes.

Despite the overwhelming volume of cars, traffic police were deployed early to manage key intersections like Nguyen Trai and Nguyen Xien. Their presence helped prevent complete chaos, though significant delays were unavoidable. At the Thai Thinh and Tay Son intersection, commuters had to wait through at least three light cycles to pass.

With the holiday period extending to five days, many travelers were seen carrying substantial amounts of luggage. At the southern gateway of Hanoi, near the Nuoc Ngam bus station, authorities and volunteers established a checkpoint to direct traffic, successfully avoiding major disruptions in that area. However, traffic continued to build on Ngoc Hoi and Giai Phong streets as the evening progressed.