Flooding occurs in the section passing through Sông Phan Commune, Hàm Tân District in Bình Thuận Province. — VNA/VNS Photo

BÌNH THUẬN — The recently opened Dầu Giây - Phan Thiết expressway in the south central province of Bình Thuận was hit by heavy rainfall over the weekend, leading to severe flooding and prolonged congestion.

The flooding occurred early Saturday morning at the section passing through Sông Phan Commune in Hàm Tân District, and water from the roadside overflowed onto the expressway, causing flooding nearly one metre deep in some areas.

The dangerous conditions resulted in numerous vehicles being stranded and a queue of over one kilometre for almost five hours. Some cars were even swept away by the water and stuck on the flooded roadside.

Despite the expressway having drainage pipes, they were not large enough, causing slow water drainage, which exacerbated the flooding and congestion, provincial authorities said.

To address the situation, a highway patrol team from the provincial Traffic Police Department redirected vehicles towards National Highway 1 to ensure smooth traffic flow.

Motorists were recommended to avoid entering the expressway to prevent further congestion.

By 7am, traffic could flow smoothly in the north-south direction, but congestion continued in the opposite direction.

The Phan Thiết – Dầu Giây expressway, connecting Đồng Nai and Bình Thuận provinces, spans 99 kilometres, with six lanes and a top speed of 120 kph.

The expressway cost VNĐ12.5 trillion (US$543 million) and opened to traffic at the end of April. — VNS