Hanoi traffic up to eight times capacity

The traffic volumes on several Hanoi roads have been found exceeding their designed capacity by 6-8 times, according to the municipal transport department.

On the elevated section of Ring Road 3, the Thanh Tri Bridge has traffic volumes that exceed its designed capacity by eight times, and traffic volumes on Chuong Duong Bridge exceed its designed capacity by eight times as well.

Traffic on Le Van Luong-To Huu streets also exceeded the designed capacity by 1.1-1.7 times, according to the Hanoi Department of Transport.

In particular, a section of Nguyen Trai Street spanning 3.4 km from the foot of the overpass at Nga Tu So to Tran Phu Street in Ha Dong, a vital route that connects southwest Hanoi with National Highway 6, has been experiencing traffic volumes 3.3-5.6 times in excess of the section’s designed capacity during rush hours.

Certain locations along the road have been barricaded for the construction of the Yen Xa wastewater treatment factory, which has become a major cause of traffic congestion.

The municipal transport department said the number of traffic congestion points in Hanoi dropped from 37 to 33 in 2023.

While the department managed to unclog 15 congested points last year, 11 new points sprouted up. The increase in the number of personal vehicles, slow investment in traffic infrastructure, and limited resources have all contributed to the presence of new congestion points.

A representative of the department said traffic situations would be complicated as the Lunar New Year festival approaches, due to people from nearby localities traveling to the capital. Besides counting the number of vehicles and using simulations to coordinate traffic, the department has announced plans to cooperate with relevant units to deploy forces to reduce congestion. Every week, the department’s director will hold meetings with teams to monitor traffic issues and coordinate solutions.

Hanoi has over 8 million registered personal vehicles, including 1.1 million cars, over 6.7 million motorbikes and 200,000 electric bikes, not to mention 1.2 million vehicles from other localities passing through the capital, according to the transport department.

The ratio of land reserved for city vehicular traffic only amounts to 12-13%, instead of 20-26% as planned.

By Vo Hai – VnExpress.net – January 25, 2024