From 2:30 p.m. on December 31, traffic volumes began to spike across the city.

One of the most congested areas was Khuat Duy Tien Street, particularly the section stretching from the Le Van Luong intersection to the Nguyen Xien junction. Vehicles moved at a crawl as they approached Hanoi’s southern gateway.

Dao Thanh Ha, a native of Phu Tho, said he made an effort to arrive at the bus station early to secure a seat on his preferred ride home.

Cao Mai Anh, from Ninh Binh, shared that she asked for early leave from work to avoid the expected traffic jams on the way home.

Severe congestion was also observed on the elevated section of Hanoi’s Ring Road 3, especially at the intersection of Nguyen Xien and Nguyen Trai. Cars moved inch by inch as drivers tried to make their way out of the city.

At Nuoc Ngam Bus Station in the city’s south, traffic increased significantly compared to usual days. Passenger numbers inside the station also surged.

A particularly serious traffic jam occurred near Alley 15 of Ngoc Hoi Street, where a traffic conflict caused a vehicle backlog stretching nearly 2 kilometers toward southern provinces.

To respond to the heightened demand, Traffic Police Team No. 14 under Hanoi’s Police Department deployed 100% of its officers and soldiers to be on duty throughout the holiday period, ready to handle any incidents.

By 4:00 p.m., traffic volumes continued to rise, with the Ring Road 3 section leading to Thanh Tri Bridge facing especially intense congestion.

Dinh Hieu