Hours-long congestion haunts Ho Chi Minh City airport despite new flyover
Friday, July 21, 2017, 10:11 GMT+7
Severe traffic gridlock lasting several hours on Thursday at the entrance of a major airport in Ho Chi Minh City left travelers rushing to catch their flights.
The nightmare started at around 9:30 am on streets surrounding Tan Son Nhat International Airport before spreading to nearby areas, despite a recently constructed flyover designed to alleviate congestion at the airport.
On Truong Son Street, vehicles entering and exiting the airdrome were trapped in bumper-to-bumper traffic, while congestion on Hong Ha Street forced motorcyclists to use sidewalks as traffic lanes.
Similar situations were recorded on Bach Dang Street and near Gia Dinh Park, where thousands of cars and motorbikes traveling at a snail’s pace forced airport commuters to leave their cabs and walk to the airport to catch their flights.
Nguyen Van Thanh, a 31-year-old resident from Thu Duc District, was leaving the domestic terminal after picking up relatives when he became stuck in the bottleneck after leaving the airport.
“Vehicles are not allowed to travel under the new flyover which contributes to the congestion,” Thanh assessed.
Traffic police officers were dispatched to control the nearly three-hour traffic jam.
Statistics from the municipal Department of Transport show that some 30,000 vehicles come and go from Tan Son Nhat on a daily basis.
Regular congestion at the facility can be attributed to it only being accessible from Truong Son Street.
According to Bui Xuan Cuong, director of the transport department, the agency has proposed that additional airport entrances be added to Thong Nhat Street in Go Vap District or certain streets in Tan Binh District to ease the gridlock.
Travelers leave their cabs and walk to the airport. Photo: Tuoi Tre
The new flyover on Truong Son Street leading to the airdrome is nearly empty. Photo: Tuoi Tre
Cars and motorbikes are stuck in long lines of traffic at the entrance of Tan Son Nhat Airport. Photo: Tuoi Tre
Chaos at the intersection of Bach Dang with Yen The Streets. Photo: Tuoi Tre
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