I wish they’d finish the sections along the Texas Border.
I wish theyd finish the sections along the Texas Border.
************
You fly the Hawaii Flag and you moved to Houston in 2019.
Is Texas in that bad of shape?
“I wish theyd finish the sections along the Texas Border.”
The 4 miles in downtown El Paso got done (a secondary barrier is planned there as well), but down South is the main event.
Over 100 miles of new barrier is already on contract in the Rio Grande Valley, and more than 120 miles North of Falcon Lake through Laredo, have already been funded (the first awards could come this month there).
South Texas posed strong challenges, to deal with flood control and Treaty issues (as well as the usual lawsuits and protests). All of that has been overcome, and land acquisition is the remaining main obstacle (about 400 private plots to be settled with in the Rio Grande Valley alone).
It seems like there are signs of imminent activity in the Rio Grande Valley, with the completion of Congressionally mandated consultation and comment periods, issuance of waivers, and an acceleration of court filings for Eminent Domain cases, for those holdouts (10-15%) who refuse to either negotiate or settle. One case alone covers the entire City of Laredo (Municipal properties).
I anticipate that the long logjam in the Rio Grande Valley will open up this Summer, and several crews will break ground there.
East of McAllen, a lot of slow to build levee wall system will be built in the flood plain (along the existing levee), but West of McAllen, on the higher ground, faster to build Wall System will go up more quickly.