These “new” miles are not built yet, but they are planned to be built with this year’s funding (construction will be ongoing through next year). Four contracts (for roughly 20 miles total) have already been awarded, so construction of those new miles will likely break ground in a month or two. Over the next few months, we can expect a rain of new contract awards and ground breakings.
The Secondary barrier in San Diego, which has been under construction since January, also includes 1 1/2 miles of “new” barrier, where there was a gap before. That is going to be mighty 30 foot bollards with all the bells and whistles. It should be finishing up around Christmas, but no word about when they do the “new” part (if they have not already).
The emergency declaration money will be putting crews to work soon as well. That is going to button up the small city of Yuma,, which sits right on the border, but it is also going to start doing some longer runs in New Mexico and Arizona - 28 miles here, 46 miles there.
Most of the “new” miles will be those 95 in the Rio Grande Valley. Nothing at all was there before, because it was so hard. Everything after that is easier, cheaper and quicker.
We are entering the wall building phase that we have all been waiting for - lots of crews spread out along border working at the same time.
The current plan is to have about 450 miles completed, under construction, or on contract; by the end of next year.
I’ve seen photos of the wall some of Trump’s new walls are replacing. Acting as if those areas were walled, and thus no new wall, is essentially a lie.
They were not secure. Trump’s new wall is.
Granted some areas weren’t totally broken down, but this wall is going to eventually go coast to coast.
Some folks will never be happy. We wouldn’t have gotten one foot of wall under anyone else. No matter, they bitch anyway.
They know it too.