As the Lunar New Year holiday draws near, traffic congestion at Ho Chi Minh City's gateways to other provinces has worsened since early morning, with major highways and expressways experiencing long vehicle queues and slow movement.

On January 24 (the 25th day of the Lunar New Year calendar), large numbers of residents began their journey home to the Mekong Delta for Tet celebrations. Roads such as National Highway 1 (now called Le Kha Phieu Street) and the Ho Chi Minh City–Trung Luong Expressway, passing through Binh Chanh District, have been packed with vehicles.

Passenger buses, private cars, and motorcycles moved at a snail's pace, with vehicles inching forward, creating a tense and exhausting journey for travelers.

Travelers face bottlenecks at city exits'

Nguyen Minh Son, a resident of Binh Tan District, shared his experience as he rode his motorbike, carrying his wife and two children, to their hometown in Tien Giang.

"I left home at 7 a.m. hoping to avoid traffic jams. However, when I reached the An Lac roundabout, the road was already packed. This area is always congested because the road narrows ahead, creating a bottleneck," Son explained.

Meanwhile, traffic in the eastern gateway was equally chaotic. In recent days, hotspots like the An Phu interchange and the Long Phuoc toll station have seen long lines of vehicles crawling slowly.

Traffic police have been actively managing traffic flow, directing vehicles to alternative routes such as Vo Chi Cong, Vo Nguyen Giap, National Highway 1, and Cat Lai Ferry to ease congestion on the expressway.

The Cat Lai Ferry area, which connects Thu Duc City to Nhon Trach District in Dong Nai Province, also experienced significant congestion.

According to the Thanh Nien Youth Union Ferry Management Enterprise, which operates the Cat Lai Ferry, approximately 40,000 passengers use the ferry daily. On January 24 alone, when the expressway was temporarily closed, the ferry saw an even higher influx of vehicles, prompting maximum deployment of staff and ferries to accommodate demand. Peak travel days - expected to be January 25, 26, and 27 - may see up to 60,000 passengers.

Bus terminals and airports under pressure

Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of Transport estimates that an average of 93,500 passengers per day will travel through interprovincial bus terminals during the Tet peak period.

At Mien Tay (Western) Bus Station, peak travel days are expected to see over 2,000 buses serving more than 62,000 passengers. To address this demand, approximately 300 additional buses have been mobilized to ensure smooth operations.

Mien Dong (Eastern) Bus Station in Binh Thanh District has also become increasingly crowded in recent days, as thousands of travelers, laden with luggage, prepare to board buses to their hometowns.

The old bus station now serves fixed routes to provinces like Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Dak Nong, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, and Dak Lak. Despite its limited coverage, it remains a popular choice for many travelers.

Do Phu Dat, Deputy General Director of Mien Dong Bus Station, shared that the station is expected to serve around 182,000 passengers during the Tet peak period, with daily traffic between January 25 and January 28 averaging 19,000 passengers.

“Most buses are fully booked during peak travel days. We’ve arranged additional vehicles to meet the high demand,” Dat said.

Meanwhile, Tan Son Nhat International Airport is also under heavy pressure. With 26,000 flights and approximately 4 million passengers during the Tet period, the airport has reached record traffic levels.

Today alone, the airport is operating 1,002 flights, serving over 150,000 passengers. Crowds began forming early in the morning, with ticket counters and security checkpoints packed with people. The boarding gate areas were similarly overwhelmed.

Tuan Kiet