Ho Chi Minh City to close Saigon River Tunnel overnight for fire-safety test

During tunnel closure, vehicles can take the following detours recommended by the city’s traffic police division.

Toward downtown Ho Chi Minh City: Mai Chi Tho Street → To Huu Street → R12 Street → Ba Son Bridge → Le Duan Boulevard → Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street → Vo Van Kiet Avenue.

From downtown Ho Chi Minh City to Thu Thiem New Urban Area: Vo Van Kiet Avenue → Vo Van Kiet Frontage Road → Vo Van Kiet Avenue → Ton Duc Thang Street → Ba Son Bridge → R12 Street → To Huu Street → Mai Chi Tho Street.

The Ho Chi Minh City Urban Traffic Management Center will display detour instructions on electronic traffic boards along Vo Van Kiet Avenue and Mai Chi Tho Street.

The traffic police division urged vehicles to follow the signs and obey guidance from traffic officers throughout the closure period.

Earlier, the Urban Traffic Management Center had completed a project to install a high-pressure water-mist system inside the tunnel.

Launched in mid-2021, the VND95-billion (US$3.6 million) project adds an automatic fire-suppression system capable of detecting and extinguishing fires by dividing the tunnel into smaller detection zones to improve accuracy and response time.

The system automatically activates pre-programmed spray scenarios, including single-zone or multi-zone suppression, depending on how the fire develops.

Opened in 2011, the Saigon River Tunnel measures nearly 1.5km long and is the longest underwater tunnel in Southeast Asia as well as the first in Vietnam.