Groundbreaking Ceremony Begins Military Construction Project at Mina Salman Port

MANAMA, Bahrain (NNS) -- The government of Bahrain and the U.S. Navy hosted a groundbreaking ceremony at Mina Salman Port May 26 marking the beginning of a military construction project that will develop 70 acres on the waterfront to support U.S. and coalition ships and personnel.

"NSA Bahrain continues to grow to better support ongoing operations around the region," said Capt. Enrique Sadsad, commanding officer of NSA Bahrain. "This expansion project will not only enhance our ability to support our tenant commands and their mission, whether that be logistics, aviation, theatre security, or surface operational support, but also provide the necessary infrastructure to support our service members and their families, including our civilian and contract employees."

The $580 million project is scheduled to be completed in 2015, and will include utilities infrastructure, a consolidated port operations and harbor patrol facility, personnel barracks, administrative buildings, dining facility and a flyover bridge connecting Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain to the new port facilities.

"The investment in the waterfront construction project will provide a better quality of life for our Sailors and coalition partners, well into the future," said Lt. Cmdr. Keith Benson, NSA Bahrain's public works officer. "This project signifies a continuing relationship and the trust, friendship and camaraderie that exists between the U.S. and Bahraini naval forces."

The ultimate goal of relocating port operations and development at Mina Salman is to provide better support to U.S. and coalition ships deployed here and operating in the region.

The work at Mina Salman is being overseen by Naval Facilities Engineering Command Europe Africa Southwest Asia, headquartered in Naples, Italy. The executing agent is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Construction on the first of the four phases will begin immediately. The first phase, scheduled for completion in the fall of 2012, will see the development of site utilities and a utilities building, a perimeter wall and a pass and ID gate. For the second phase, which will begin this fall and end in the winter of 2012, the port operations and harbor patrol unit facility will be completed, along with a small craft basin. Beginning in the summer of 2011, the third phase will focus on an administration facility consolidating 16 commands, personnel barracks and the flyover bridge. The final phase will commence in 2012, and will include additional personnel quarters, a dining facility and a recreation center.

NSA Bahrain occupies 62 acres of land in Juffair, and hosts more than 90 tenant commands, including U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 5th Fleet. It is the primary naval base supporting regional maritime operations in the Arabian Gulf.

Planning for the relocation of port operations has been in progress since 2003.