•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
On the afternoon of March 30, Nghệ An provincial leadership directly inspected the site of the upgrade and expansion project of National Highway 46, the Vinh – Nam Đàn section, and urged relevant agencies to decisively remove bottlenecks in technical infrastructure and accelerate construction progress in the near term.
According to the inspection report, the project to renovate and widen National Highway 46, the Vinh – Nam Đàn section, has contractors implementing 7.93 km out of a total 10.69 km. However, about 2.76 km remains unable to proceed due to issues related to the technical infrastructure system.
The items not yet relocated include high- and medium-voltage power lines, the water supply system, telecommunications cables, and some houses within the cleared area. These are identified as the biggest bottlenecks directly affecting the project’s overall progress.
In addition to technical constraints, compensation and site clearance costs have increased by about 96.343 billion VND compared with the initial total investment. The difficulty has been addressed: the Ministry of Construction agreed to allow the use of contingency funds, with the transferred amount to be paid into the local treasury no later than March 31, 2026.
Provincial leaders noted that the pace of infrastructure relocation by involved units remains slower than their commitments. Nghệ An Water Supply Joint Stock Company is relocating the water supply system at an average rate of only about 43 meters per day, which does not meet the required target.
Meanwhile, telecommunications cables of VNPT, Viettel, and Mobifone remain in place at many locations that have not been fully resolved.
In Đại Huệ, Vạn An, and Kim Liên communes, 66 households whose compensation plans have been approved have not yet received payments. This has delayed dismantling structures and continued to hinder construction.
Directing the next steps, Nghệ An Province Vice Chairman Hoàng Phú Hiền asked relevant agencies to intensify coordination to resolve outstanding issues—especially technical infrastructure bottlenecks—before April 15, 2026.
For units relocating infrastructure, provincial leaders requested increasing personnel and equipment and organizing additional work fronts to speed up progress. Relocating electricity lines and the water supply system should be prioritized urgently while minimizing disruption to residents’ daily life, particularly during hot weather.
Mr. Hiền also asked for a careful review of contractors’ capacity. If contractors fail to meet required pace and quality, they should be decisively replaced to ensure the project’s overall objectives.
For compensation and site clearance, once funds are transferred to the locality, Kim Liên, Vạn An, and Đại Huệ commune authorities were asked to complete payments in the coming days. Authorities were also instructed to encourage residents to dismantle structures as soon as they receive payment and to strictly handle cases that deliberately obstruct construction.
Telecommunications operators, including VNPT Nghệ An, Viettel Nghệ An, and Mobifone Nghệ An, were required to relocate all cables within the project’s scope before April 15, 2026.
From the investor side, Project Management Board 85 was asked to have contractors finalize earthwork and grading, ensure traffic safety, and maintain environmental hygiene for pedestrians and vehicles along the route. For segments where sites are already cleared of technical infrastructure, construction should begin immediately to avoid delaying the project’s overall schedule.
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…
