Border Wall Construction Contract Awarded
Award: Building boundary walls
Value: $309 million
Location: Santa Cruz County, Arizona
Client: US Customs and Border Security
The US Customs and Border Patrol has awarded a $309 million contract to Fisher Sand & Gravel for the construction of a new stretch of the border wall. As announced in a news release on June 18, this project aims to build approximately 27 miles of wall in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, specifically within the Tucson sector of the US Border Patrol. This work will address key openings in the existing border wall and is part of a funding initiative from 2021. The project is set to resume after construction was halted during the Biden administration.
This marks the second border wall contract awarded during President Donald Trump’s second term, following an earlier contract awarded to Granite, an organization based in Watsonville, California. Additionally, there are plans to create new barriers in Hidalgo County, Texas.
Meanwhile, Homeland Security Secretary Christie Noem has issued a waiver intended to expedite border wall construction in Texas, located within the agency’s Rio Grande Valley sector. This waiver allows contractors to bypass certain environmental regulations, including the National Environmental Policy Act, which is quite significant.
“This is the fifth exemption signed by Secretary Noem to facilitate border wall construction, underscoring the Department of Homeland Security’s ongoing commitment to expedite the building of essential physical barriers for securing the US southern border,” a statement noted.
Support for continuing the construction of boundary walls remains strong under the Trump administration. However, a report from the Texas Tribune indicates that Texas has halted funding for its border wall efforts. Governor Greg Abbott’s initiative has resulted in only a few hundred miles of potential barriers being established, with only 8% of the 805 miles identified for construction having been completed, at an expenditure of $3 billion.
