$287 million contract awarded to replace border fencing in California

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, along with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, announced a $287 million contract aimed towards the construction of about 30 miles of fencing at California’s border with Mexico.

CBP said the contract was awarded Thursday to Texas-based SLSCO Ltd. The contract will fund a new San Diego Sector 14-mile secondary wall with its construction set to begin in February 2019. Construction for the primary pedestrian replacement wall will start in July 2019.

According to the press release, the contract will focus on replacing outdated pedestrian wall designs, with a 30-foot steel bollard wall. The estimated 15 miles will include about 11 miles in Calexico, nearly three miles in Tecate and one mile in Andrade.

The project will also fund the construction of a secondary wall that includes replacing the existing secondary barrier with a 30-feet tall steel bollard wall next to San Diego. Officials added that due to the high-density population in the San Diego-Tijuana urban area, the stronger infrastructure is critically important.

The contract is part of President Donald Trump’s executive order, “Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements” which focuses on expeditiously plan, design, and construct a physical wall to effectively control the southern border.