•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Delegates at the third (special) session of the 11th Dong Nai Provincial People’s Council on April 28 voted to approve an investment policy to extend the Ben Thanh – Suoi Tien metro line to the provincial administrative center and Long Thành International Airport.
The extended metro line will be about 44.6 km long, divided into two sections:
The line will pass through wards/communes including Biên Hòa, Trấn Biên, Long Hưng, Phước Tân, Tam Phước, An Phước, Long Thành and Nhơn Trạch.
The project includes stations, depots and auxiliary works along the entire line, with implementation planned for 2026–2030. Total investment is estimated at 65,573 billion VND (equivalent to over $2.5 billion), to be carried out under a PPP (public-private partnership) format.
Earlier, the Dong Nai Provincial People’s Committee submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister proposing a decision to establish the investment as an emergency construction project.
Under the proposed emergency mechanism, Dong Nai proposed:
The locality also requested special mechanisms related to survey, design and construction procedures, including applying a design-build approach and inviting organizations, experts and legal consultants to support the project.
According to the plan, in April, Dong Nai’s Land Development Center (Bien Hòa branch) will coordinate with the Trấn Biên, Biên Hòa, Long Hưng, Phước Tân and Tam Phước wards to conduct on-site surveys and collect information on land, housing, structures, crops and related facilities within the land-recovery area. This information will be used to form a basis for compensation, support and resettlement calculations.
At the same session, the Dong Nai Provincial People’s Council also approved investment policy for two large-scale transport infrastructure projects aimed at improving connectivity with Ho Chi Minh City and nearby areas.
The first project is a road connecting Ma Da Bridge to Beltway 4, about 44.5 km long. It includes an elevated bridge in the Ma Da area, while the remainder will be an at-grade road with 8 lanes and safety infrastructure.
The route will pass through Trị An and Tan An communes in Dong Nai, with implementation planned for 2026–2028. Total investment is estimated at about 16,400 billion VND.
The second project is an elevated road along National Highway 51, about 6.2 km long. The elevated section is more than 4.6 km, with 6 lanes and a design speed of 80 km/h.
The current road underneath will be upgraded and expanded, including intersections and technical infrastructure such as Intelligent Transport Systems, toll facilities and supporting works. The project will be implemented in Trấn Biên, Long Hưng, Phước Tân and Long Bình communes, expected to run in 2026–2029. Preliminary total investment is about 28,700 billion VND.
Premium gym chains are entering a “golden era” that is ending or already in decline, as rising operating costs collide with shifting consumer preferences toward more flexible, community-based ways to exercise. Long-term memberships are shrinking, margins are pressured by higher rents and facility expenses, and competition from smaller, more personalized…
