Border wall construction forging ahead (McAllen, Texas)

Border Report ^ | Nov 10, 2020 | Sandra Sanchez

[SteveH]

that would have been true in midsummer although i would think not nearly so much right now in the late fall although i do not live that far south so actually i am not certain...

[NetAddicted]

How long will the Border Wall be, when it is completed?

[BeauBo]

There has been a fair amount of work in the dark, just to accommodate two shifts per day.

When competing on the contracts, timely delivery (speed) was an important criteria, so many successful bidders structured their proposals around two shits per day, rather than a strictly lowest cost approach. There was a declared National Emergency, after all.

So there just wasn’t enough daylight 16 hours per day, and work lighting was required. Probably some individuals are banking a lot of overtime (at premium rates) as well.

It is basically too late to try to speed up work much after the election. High rates of construction - two shifts, night work and overtime pay differentials - were baked into the cake before the contracts were awarded.

[BeauBo]

The border wall will likely cover roughly half the 1,954 miles Southern Border - about 1,000 miles.

Currently, the Trump Administration has funded a total of 738 miles, of which about 400 is already up.

Additionally, 221 miles of the pre-existing barrier has been assessed as operationally effective, and does not need to be replaced. So along with the already funded Trump Program, that would total 959 miles, of which about 620 miles of effective barrier is already standing (as well as many more miles of old barriier that is not considered effective enough).

More new barrier is planned, for which funding has not yet been transferred (probably pending the outcome of the election). The Comprehensive Plan called for a total of about 1,100 miles of effective barrier, but I am not clear if that includes secondary barrier (double walls) in certain areas as counting as one mile or two. I am guessing roughly 100 miles of secondary barrier is planned, with probably around 50 of that already up in San Diego and Yuma Sectors.

There is a wedge of about $1.4 billion per year (plus inflation), built into the ten year budget, out to 2027, to continue building barrier. DHS/Border Patrol will continually re-assess their highest priorities each year, as the threat changes. They might build more linear miles of primary barrier (single wall), or decide on more secondary barrier (double wall) - maybe even a tertiary barrier somewhere. Also, they might use that money for infrastructure like roads and stuff, rather than just barrier.

Costs per mile vary widely depending on the terrain they need to secure, from $5 million/mile in flat desert along existing good road, to $40 million per mile through mountains with no road.

And of course, there is a high political risk in the future, that priorities could change, and future funding, or even current funded contracts, might be revoked.

The bottom line though, is that after careful analysis, about half the length of that Border really requires barrier, and that is roughly how much President Trump got funded in his first term.

Contractors will need to work through 2021 and into 2022 to complete delivery on the currently funded 738 mile Program. Together with the 221 good pre-existing miles, that would bring us into the ball park of a thousand miles, with a slower rate of 50-100 miles per year after that likely, in reaction to changing threats.