Accident causes 10-km tailback on Mekong Delta expressway

A truck carrying watermelons from HCMC to the Mekong Delta got a flat tire and had to stop in the middle of the street in Chau Thanh District of Tien Giang Province at around 3 a.m.

The container truck moving behind failed to stop in time and hit it.

Damage after a truck hits another from behind on HCMC – Trung Luong Expressway, November 18, 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Nam An

The collision caused the cabin of the second truck to fall off, onto the emergency lane and injuring the driver, who has been taken to hospital.

It also caused the truck carrying watermelons to hit the median strip, resulting in thousands of watermelons dropping on the street.

A truck collision caused a tailback of more than 10 km on HCMC-Trung Luong Expressway, November 18, 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Nam An

Stretching 62 km, HCMC – Trung Luong Expressway was put into use 12 years ago as the first of its kind in southern Vietnam.

It has four lanes plus an emergency lane for vehicles to move at the maximum speed of 100 kph.

As the only expressway linking HCMC with the Mekong Delta, HCMC-Trung Luong runs through Long An Province to Tien Giang Province.

After toll collection was stopped three years ago, the number of vehicles using the expressway jumps by more than 30% to an average of 40,000-50,000 per 24 hours.

More than 200 accidents have happened on the route since the toll collection was stopped.