A fireworks display will be held to celebrate New Year’s Eve tonight near Ho Chi Minh City’s downtown area, but going there may be a nightmare as heavy traffic is highly anticipated, with several nearby roads to be blocked from the early evening.

The southern metropolis will put on two pyrotechnic displays, lasting 15 minutes each, at the Thu Thiem Tunnel in District 2 and the Dam Sen Cultural Park in District 11, when the clock ticks to the first day of 2016.

The fireworks in District 2 can be observed from such bridges as Khanh Hoi, Mong, Calmette, Ong Lanh, Thu Thiem, Saigon, and Phu My, so nearby streets will be barricaded for safety reasons, according to the transport department.

From 8:00 pm on December 31 to 5:00 am on January 1, all motorcycles are banned from traveling on Vo Van Kiet Boulevard – Thu Thiem Tunnel – Mai Chi Tho Boulevard and the part between Ky Con Street in District 1 and the road leading to the Thu Thiem Bridge in District 2.

From 8:00 pm on December 31 to 0:20 am on January 1, the ban is enforced as follows:

- On Nguyen Tat Thanh Street, District 4: the section from Hoang Dieu Street to Khanh Hoi Bridge

- On Ton Duc Thang Street, District 1: the section from Me Linh Square to Khanh Hoi Bridge

- On Dong Khoi Street, District 1: the section from Ngo Duc Ke Street to Ton Duc Thang Street

- On Hai Trieu Street, District 1: the section from Ho Tung Mau Street to Nguyen Hue Street

- On Ham Nghi Street, District 1: the section from Ho Tung Mau Street to Ton Duc Thang Street

From 7:00 pm on December 31 to 11:00 pm on January 1, the entire Nguyen Hue Street is blocked and vehicles are advised to follow the alternative routes below:

- From District 4 to District 1: Nguyen Tat Thanh => Hoang Dieu => Doan Van Bo => Calmette Bridge => Calmette => Tran Hung Dao => Le Loi => Pasteur => Ly Tu Trong => Ton Duc Thang

- From District 1 to District 4: Ton Duc Thang => Hai Ba Trung => Le Thanh Ton => Nam Ky Khoi Nghia => Nguyen Thai Binh; or Nguyen Cong Tru => Calmette => Calmette Bridge => Doan Van Bo => Hoang Dieu => Nguyen Tat Thanh

- From District 1 to District 2: Vo Van Kiet => Ky Con => Tran Hung Dao => Le Loi => Pasteur => Ly Tu Trong => Ton Duc Thang => Nguyen Huu Canh => Thu Thiem Bridge => road leading to Thu Thiem Bridge => Mai Chi Tho

- From District 2 to District 1: Mai Chi Tho => road leading to Thu Thiem Bridge => Thu Thiem Bridge => Nguyen Huu Canh => Le Thanh Ton => Nam Ky Khoi Nghia => Vo Van Kiet

Below is the detailed map of the alternative routes provided by the Department of Transport. For a full-size image, click on the map.

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