Traffic congestion on some busy streets in Ho Chi Minh City was worse than usual during Monday’s morning rush hours as upgrade works began on already crowded commuting routes.

From 9:00 am on Saturday, the intersection between Dien Bien Phu and Nguyen Van Thuong Streets in Binh Thanh District has been closed for the construction of a footbridge and storm drain upgrades.

Works also began on Monday to repair and upgrade the 3.2-kilometer Nguyen Huu Canh Street, which connects District 1 and Binh Thanh District, to combat land subsidence and inundation.

Both Dien Bien Phu and Nguyen Huu Canh are major commuting routes in the southern metropolis, linking District 2, District 9 and Binh Thanh with the city center.

Nguyen Huu Canh Street is infamous for its susceptibility to inundation during heavy rains and high tides, a problem that persists despite efforts including the installation of an expensive anti-flooding pump system.

Meanwhile, Dien Bien Phu Street is often dogged by congestion caused by the sheer volume of traffic on the road.

The usual rush-hour jams on these roads got out of hand on Monday morning, as thousands of vehicles moved at a snail's pace through a packed crowd of traffic.

Nearby streets including Ung Van Khiem, Dinh Bo Linh, and Ton Duc Thang were also more crowded on Monday than the previous weeks as vehicles were forced to make a detour from their usual route.

Traffic officers and youth volunteers were hard at work to regulate traffic, though to little avail.

Traffic congestion on Nguyen Huu Canh Street in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Chau Tuan / Tuoi Tre

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