Repairing Long Thanh Bridge, Ho Chi Minh City - Dau Giay Expressway and National Highway 51 causing prolonged traffic jams

On the afternoon of September 15, the weekend coincided with the time when the authorities repaired the expansion joints of Long Thanh Bridge on the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressway, causing a prolonged traffic jam on this expressway. Traffic flow was slow, and at times the traffic was stationary on the expressway. Traffic jams also occurred on National Highway 51 and the road leading to Cat Lai Ferry (Nhon Trach District, Dong Nai ).

Traffic jam on the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay expressway from Dong Nai to Ho Chi Minh City on the afternoon of September 15 (Photo: Hoang Binh).

From 4 p.m., the number of vehicles pouring into the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressway increased, the line of cars moved slowly, causing a traffic jam lasting nearly 10km. The Highway Traffic Control Patrol Team No. 6 (Department 6, Traffic Police Department, Ministry of Public Security ) had to close the expressway at the intersection with National Highway 51, causing the traffic on National Highway 51 from Long Thanh district to Bien Hoa to also be congested for a long time.

Driver Nguyen Van Hai (Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City) said that the construction of expansion joints on Long Thanh Bridge has caused a part of the road to be narrowed for many weeks now. Normally, the expressway from Long Thanh District to An Phu Intersection is always congested, and the bridge repair has made this situation more serious. Many drivers have to spend hours to get through this section of the road.

Traffic police coordinate at the intersection of National Highway 51 and Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh Expressway (Photo: Hoang Binh).

To limit traffic congestion, authorities regularly open and close the entrance to the highway on Highway 51. In addition, traffic police on duty at this intersection instruct drivers who want to go from Dong Nai to Ho Chi Minh City to find another route to avoid causing congestion on Highway 51.

A representative of the Highway Traffic Control Patrol Team No. 6 (Department 6, Traffic Police Department, Ministry of Public Security) said that the construction on Long Thanh Bridge had been widely announced by the highway operator in newspapers and radio stations, and it was inevitable that there would be a lot of slow-moving traffic on the highway. Many drivers chose to go to Cat Lai ferry instead of going on the highway or taking Highway 51 to Bien Hoa City to Ho Chi Minh City via Highway 1A.

The repair of Long Thanh Bridge has made the already congested traffic from Dong Nai to Ho Chi Minh City on the expressway even more congested (Photo: Hoang Binh).

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoai Phuong, Deputy Director of Vietnam Expressway Engineering Services Joint Stock Company (VEC E), said that the bridge repair work is being accelerated. Items such as removing old concrete and dismantling expansion joints have been completed.

Currently, the construction unit is focusing on installing new formwork and joints. Despite some difficulties, the construction unit is committed to completing the project as soon as possible.

National Highway 51 through Bien Hoa City is also congested due to the increased flow of vehicles going to Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: Hoang Binh).

It is expected that on September 22, the repair work of Long Thanh bridge on Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay expressway will be completed, helping traffic on the route to stabilize again.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/xa-hoi/sua-cau-long-thanh-cao-toc-tphcm-dau-giay-va-quoc-lo-51-ket-xe-keo-dai-20240915185624142.htm