Investments

Unlocking the Traffic Jam: A New Approach to Ease Congestion on National Highway 13 and Pham Van Dong Street

"Traffic congestion continues to plague Ho Chi Minh City, with National Highway 13 and Pham Van Dong Street bearing the brunt of the issue. At a press conference held on the afternoon of September 11, Mr. Nguyen Kien Giang, Deputy Head of the Management, Maintenance, and Works Exploitation Department of the Ho Chi Minh City Construction Department, addressed the persistent traffic woes following the recent increase in the clearance height of Binh Trieu 1 Bridge."

Administrator

13 September, 2025

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Mr. Nguyen Kien Giang, Deputy Head of the Management and Operation of Traffic Infrastructure Department, Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of Construction, informed at the press conference on September 11th afternoon.

According to Mr. Giang, since August 26, 2025, the authorities have banned cars from traveling through Binh Trieu 1 Bridge to facilitate the static lift construction. These cars were redirected to one lane on Binh Trieu 2 Bridge. During the first week, traffic remained stable, but from the following week, congestion started to occur on National Highway 13 and Pham Van Dong Street.

“National Highway 13 and Pham Van Dong Street are almost the main axes into the city. When both have to bear a large number of vehicles, the intersection of the two routes quickly becomes overloaded,” said Mr. Giang.

Faced with this situation, the Department of Construction has coordinated with many related units to inspect the site, meet and agree on a series of solutions to limit congestion and ensure traffic safety during the construction period.

As a result, the traffic direction at alley 153, National Highway 13 (Binh Thanh Ward) will be reversed; the branch road from Binh Loi Bridge to National Highway 13 (from Nguyen Xi to National Highway 13) will be banned for cars during peak hours in the morning and restricted for all vehicles during peak hours in the afternoon to reduce traffic in the roundabout area. At the intersection under the overpass of Pham Van Dong – National Highway 13, a traffic light pole will be added to regulate the number of vehicles entering Binh Trieu 2 Bridge.

In parallel, the Department of Construction requested the construction unit to speed up the progress, focusing on night work, and maximizing road use during the day, while urgently repairing damaged road surfaces on the branch from National Highway 13 (Binh Thanh District) to Binh Trieu 2 Bridge to ensure safety for vehicles.

Traffic monitoring has also been strengthened through the camera system, and information will be promptly updated on the billboard and provided to VOV and VOH so that people can choose a suitable route; quick reaction teams will be mobilized as soon as congestion occurs.

In addition, the departure time of coaches at the old Eastern Bus Station (on Dinh Bo Linh Street) has been adjusted to avoid peak hours, and coach companies are advised to choose alternative routes instead of National Highway 13.

Functional forces are also requested to strengthen inspection and handling of illegal parking and encroachment on roadsides for trading, ensuring traffic order and safety on Pham Van Dong, National Highway 13, and Nguyen Xi routes.

Khang Di

– 19:17 11/09/2025