Japanese construction workers complete concrete railings for the new bridge that connects the new Sada Family Housing area to Camp Foster. Housing residents no longer will have to exit the base to get to the main exchange, restaurants and post office. (Mark Rankin / S&S)
Japanese construction workers complete concrete railings for the new bridge that connects the new Sada Family Housing area to Camp Foster. Housing residents no longer will have to exit the base to get to the main exchange, restaurants and post office. (Mark Rankin / S&S)
Japanese construction workers complete concrete railings for the new bridge that connects the new Sada Family Housing area to Camp Foster. (Mark Rankin / S&S)
CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — Finally, after almost 50 years, the Sada Family Housing area is connected to the rest of Camp Foster.
A small bridge across a stream separating the housing area from the main base, near the main exchange and post office, is nearing completion, making it no longer necessary to exit the housing area and drive a few yards on busy Highway 330 to the Exchange Gate.
And once the bridge is done, families will begin to move into the new two- and three-bedroom townhouse units that passed their final inspection last week, says Bill Kinzley, director of facility planning director for Marine bases in Japan.
“We have 178 two-bedroom and 16 three-bedroom units just about ready for occupancy,” Kinzley said. “But we won’t have people move in until the bridge is finished, which should be the end of September.”
It’s all part of a 10-year, $200 million construction program funded by the Japanese government. Two apartment towers in Sada Housing will add another 194 units when they open sometime next spring.
In 2003 the old housing area, single-family homes built in 1955, was razed to make room for the new buildings.
The new housing opens the way for consolidating Marine bases on Okinawa, Kinzley said. Eventually, a new hospital and middle school will be added to Camp Foster, opening the way to closing nearby Camp Lester.
