Three new buildings to house thousands of American military personnel have been constructed as part of a $580- million expansion of the US naval base in Bahrain.

Work on expanding Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain operations, which started in 2010, is on schedule as it aims to support coalition forces and maintain maritime security in the region.

The three barracks are located in the new extension, called NSA II, in Mina Salman and are among a wide range of construction projects and logistical and security support facilities.

The US Navy is executing several construction projects involving housing, logistics, security and operational support as part of an overall improvement plan for the installation.

The focus of infrastructure development has been at the Mina Salman waterfront where, in 2010, it began building a world-class naval port. In 2014, the base was connected to the new facility by a flyover over the Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Causeway.

The development is approximately 60 per cent complete, and local construction and contracting firms have played a substantial role in the projects. The final completion date for other infrastructure projects is slated for 2020.