Posted on 05/10/2019 9:22:21 PM PDT by Signalman
Pentagon Finds $1 5 Billion More for Wall
1.5 Billion.
Maybe the military should run Congress?
Maybe they will if they don’t get their shit together.
OK, so howq’s construction on it moving along?
I’m glad the money’s there. I WANT TO SEE THE WALL BUILT!!!!
“so how’s construction on it moving along?”
40 miles done (the 2017 money); 126 funded, on contract, and underway (80 from the 2018 money); 11 miles funded but contract must be re-competed due to a successful protest (around Yuma, AZ); these 80 miles in the video, now funded, and in the contracting process; 55 miles funded by Congress this year, and in contracting; another $4.1 billion expected this year, to contract about two hundred something more miles.
So at the end of this year, we are on track to have about 500 miles worth funded and in the works.
We are just entering the period of full scale building (first year was basically planning and prep). We started 2019 at a pace of about a half mile per week, and are on track to end the year running about a half mile per day. Instead of having two or three crews working, we will ramp up to a dozen or more.
It has been taking them about two years to execute the funds and complete projects (normal construction funding allows for up to five years). We got enough for 40 miles in 2017, 80 miles in 2018, and 2019 is looking like it will be around 400 miles.
In the past, congress funded specifically identified miles of project - specific segments. This year with the Emergency Declaration, the funding has been announced, but not the specific projects, so we have to estimate how many miles it will build (prices vary widely, depending on location and features). 400 miles this year for $8.1 billion, is a conservative estimate of the number of miles that money might buy.
Bottom line: Construction started slow, but we are taking off on a tear this year and next, thanks to the President’s Emergency Declaration.
News article:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-f6KkLJF9c
Some cool drone footage of the wall being built you asked for it metmom!):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S024otpADnQ
How long did it take China to build their Great Wall? I hope ours is even more beautiful, and 10x as effective! A big, beautiful, wall!
It’s a start, but a drop in Bucket. Absolutely disgusting what the Military was buying during the use it or lose last month of the physical year. Lobster, Pianos, Golf carts.....
Priorities, priorities.
Wonder where the nearest concrete plant is.
That’s good news.
“11 miles funded but contract must be re-competed due to a successful protest (around Yuma, AZ)”
Back in March, DoD released the first billion dollars, of the the money they plan to use to build border wall.
In April (very quickly!) two contracts were awarded: one for 11 miles worth of segments around Yuma Arizona, and the other for 46 miles worth of segments in New Mexico (extending President Trump’s earlier 20 mile run further West from EL Paso).
Well, Fisher Industries protested the contract awards, saying that they did not fairly compete them. Upon examination, authorities agreed on the Yuma contract (no word on the other). So they will re-compete that contract.
I think they will do it quickly, in like a month a two, and then get to work a month or two after that.
Good point! I’m always amazed at what it takes to move stuff. For example, a construction site in downtown with truck-trailer combos filling up with dirt from the excavation. Lots of the crappy stuff goes to a landfill about 25 miles away (40 min. one way) that the landfill will use for daily cover.
Takes about 5 minutes to fill up the trucks, and 1.5 hours later they are back for another load.
I hope the wall isn’t like some government jobs I’ve been on. Get to the main site, have the briefing, then a safety meeting, then an hour drive out to the remote site. An hour later the government safety guy says “Okay - time to head back for lunch.” (Leave at 11 am so he could be there for noon. Then left lunch at 1pm).
Didn’t get much done that day.
We asked him to bring a lunch the next time. Or we could buy him a sandwich and bring it with us. “Well, union rules say I get to eat in the air-conditioned cafeteria.”
“Okay, we’ll give you lunch, $20, and you can sit in your truck with the A/C on.”
Thank goodness he agreed!
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