On February 2nd (the 5th day of the Lunar New Year), thousands of vehicles from central provinces poured into Ho Chi Minh City via the eastern highways through Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan, and Dong Nai after the Tet holiday. Severe traffic jams occurred on many sections of the highways and National Route 1A due to a sudden surge in vehicle numbers.
Causes of Congestion on the Cam Lam – Vinh Hao Highway
Traffic police under the Ministry of Public Security and local authorities had to close several highway junctions on the Cam Lam – Vinh Hao, Vinh Hao – Phan Thiet, and Phan Thiet – Dau Giay highways to regulate traffic flow. According to the Cam Lam – Vinh Hao Expressway Management Board, traffic congestion extended for about 4 km at the Nui Vung Tunnel area (north side) from morning until afternoon. On average, more than 1,200 vehicles passed through this tunnel every hour from Ninh Thuan into Binh Thuan.
Traffic congestion on the Cam Lam – Vinh Hao Highway on February 2nd (Photo: Deo Ca).
Representatives from the Cam Lam – Vinh Hao Expressway Project Management Board explained that the main cause was the operation of only one tunnel tube, while the second tube has not yet been approved for design in phase 2. This forced all vehicles into a single lane, creating a “bottleneck” that made passage through the tunnel difficult.
Redirecting to National Route 1A and Secondary Routes
Due to prolonged congestion on the highways, many drivers opted to reroute via Route 27 to Phan Rang – Thap Cham and then continue to Ho Chi Minh City via National Route 1A. However, even Route 1A through Binh Thuan province faced significant overload.
Traffic congestion on National Route 1A through Binh Thuan Province (Photo: Provided by locals).
At the Ba Bau interchange, traffic control patrols from Binh Thuan省公安厅交管局临时关闭了通往大水线的入口，以减轻该线路的压力。这一调控措施虽然稳定了交通流量，但也导致了1号国道从宁顺省南部到河仙段的长时间拥堵。
解决方案和职能机构建议
据宁顺省公安厅交管局介绍，在春节假期后，主要干道将继续面临车辆过多的问题，大量车辆从中部省份返回胡志明市。为确保交通安全，交通巡逻队实行24小时值班制度，疏导和引导司机。
职能机构建议民众合理选择出行时间，避开高峰时段。此外，通过官方渠道或数字地图应用程序关注交通信息也是主动选择路线的有效方法。
结论
春节假期后的高速公路和1号国道的交通拥堵问题引起了广泛关注，反映了人民出行需求的巨大。为了减少负面影响，需要职能机构之间的紧密合作以及市民遵守交通法规的意识。请经常更新信息并遵循职能机构的指导，以确保安全顺畅的行程。
参考资料：Dân trí电子报
