HCMC – Vehicles have been banned from entering the Saigon River tunnel, which connects Thu Duc City with District 1 in HCMC, this weekend, as the tunnel will be temporarily closed for a fire drill, according to the HCMC Department of Transport.

The tunnel closure will be from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on October 29 and 30, during which vehicles traveling from District 1 to Thu Duc City can follow the alternative route of Vo Van Kiet – Ton Duc Thang – Thu Thiem 2 Bridge – To Huu – Mai Chi Tho. Those traveling from Thu Duc City to District 1 can use the Mai Chi Tho – To Huu – Thu Thiem 2 Bridge – Le Duan – Nam Ky Khoi Nghia – Vo Van Kiet route.

The department said the upcoming fire drill, which takes place annually, is aimed at helping minimize damage if a fire occurs.

A few days ago, was closed for three nights from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. between October 23 and 25 to test the automatic fire safety system.

The Saigon River tunnel, also known as the Thu Thiem tunnel, was put into service 12 years ago, with over VND2 trillion in investment. The six-lane tunnel measures 1.49 kilometers in length, 33 meters in width and nine meters in height, allowing vehicles to travel at a maximum speed of 60 kilometers per hour.