Posted on 04/13/2020 12:08:56 PM PDT by BeauBo
158 miles completed, 192 miles under construction, 403 miles in pre-construction.
(Excerpt) Read more at twitter.com ...
This is the first weekly report that has shown a mile per day average rate. There is some fluctuation week to week (e.g. weather, rounding error), but the trend continues to accelerate.
High priority areas of the border, getting Super Wall System. We are off to races!
What are “preconstruction” walls?
How many miles remaining?
“preconstruction”?
Pre-construction miles are those planned segments, for which the money is on hand, but ground has not yet been broken. Authorized and funded, but not yet cranking out the mileage. “In the pipeline”, so to speak.
The big components of the pre-construction lead time are:
- The Federal Contracting process (competitive bidding)
- Land Acquisition/settlement issues in some places (Texas)
- Contractor lead time after receiving the contract (certifying final plans/design, buying/hiring materials and crew, moving equipment, setting up camp, road work/prep, etc.)
“How many miles remaining?”
The Comprehensive Plan for Full Operational Control of the Southern Border called for about 1,100 miles of effective barrier.
221 miles of pre-existing barrier has been assessed as effective (but will receive technology upgrades).
The total Trump Program now funded (completed + Under Construction + Pre-Construction) is 753 miles.
753 + 221 = 974 miles, out of 1,100 - meaning 126 still to go.
The $3.6 billion of FY 2020 Military construction funds which the Administration has announced will be diverted to the wall, has not yet been transferred by DoD, and is not yet included in the Pre-Construction numbers. That seems to be more than enough to finish the job.
Although Contractors will be working hard through 2021 to deliver on their contract obligations, the Government’s main tasks of defining the requirements, providing the money, and awarding the contracts; are on track to finish this year, for all the barrier identified as needed.
There is a less well appreciated, but fundamentally transformative technology deployment occurring this year and next as well. Just like the barrier, the first two years were mostly careful analysis and tradeoff studies. Now the plan is clear and approved by all (Congress accepted it as final in December 2018), and full scale deployment is underway.
Technology is not as visible, and much lower cost than the the heavy infrastructure projects (per mile), but rolls out significantly quicker (per mile).
Both Infrastructure and Technology deployments are carefully prioritized, to where they will make the biggest effects first. The operational impacts are very significant where this stuff goes in (San Diego is largely shut down now, before the secondary is complete).
This year, the operational impacts are going to be profound. By the end of next year, we should be approaching full operational control of the border.
Getting the wall up to even a gap of 126 would be stupendous. Especially as that 126 is probably in very remote areas
I logged in here just to say thanks for the updates and explanations. I check this site for your posts. This is how FR used to work. Good info and well reasoned answers without emotion.
thanx for the update beaubo.
from your post:
“753 + 221 = 974 miles, out of 1,100 - meaning 126 still to go.”
so my question is: is that 1,100 miles of wall from pacific to gulf of mexico?
if so, we are really rolling on this wall project!
Most excellent.
Agreed. I love factual updates that add to my understanding - especially when they include good news.
Just as a hypothetical . . . if we continued at one mile per day completed until the next Presidential Inauguration . . . we would move everything that is "under construction" to "completed" along with 60 miles of "pre-construction". That is a bit of a dream, but not all that far from what we are likely to see when President Trump retakes the Oath of Office next year.
Another hypothetical. Wouldn't it by nice to bring back the Works Progress Administration, just for a year or two, to help people out with the impending recession? Put a million unemployed Americans to work with the WPA reinforcing the Great Wall of Trump or building a second barrier to make the Wall much harder to penetrate. One million people on a thousand mile barrier is a thousand per mile, or one every five feet. A man can do a lot in a year to make a five-foot section of our border difficult to cross.
Thanks BeauBo, you are the best!
And thanks thinden for ping; bitt, gotta read this.
1,954 miles of Mexican Border, from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico.
1,100 miles of barrier is what they think is needed to control the border - but every mile needs effective monitoring for reliable detection and tracking to interception.
Barrier is essential in places (like cities), where people can sprint over the border, and disappear quickly. Barrier is essential for controlling mobs, and for stopping vehicles.
When people are on foot, and their “disappearing time” extends for many hours, or even into days, barrier is not essential to effectively detect and intercept them.
Thanx for clearing this up beaubo
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.