Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

First border wall contract awarded for Laredo, Texas at $275 million
KXAN (NBC, Austin), from Border Report ^ | 9 May 2020 | Sandra Sanchez

Posted on 05/09/2020 2:59:09 PM PDT by BeauBo

A $275 million contract has been awarded to an Alabama company to start construction of a 14-mile border wall in Laredo, Texas.

Similar to other portions of border wall being built in South Texas and throughout the Southwest, this project will consist of a 30-foot-high bollard wall with all weather roads, enforcement cameras and special lighting, according to a announcement made by U.S. Customs and Border Protection late Friday.

This will be the first portion of a border wall to go up in Laredo, which sits across the Rio Grande from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.

The contract was awarded to Caddell Construction Company LLC of Montgomery, Alabama, and construction is slated to begin in January 2021. However, much of the land in Webb County is privately owned and must be obtained before construction can begin.

(Excerpt) Read more at kxan.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Foreign Affairs; Mexico; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: borderwall; immigration; laredo
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-28 last
To: Leaning Right

“I’ll bet my last dollar on possibility C.” (that a future Democrat Administration will just open the gates, and pull back the police).

That is what they will likely do. But just like the Trump Administration (to some degree) they will have to go step by step through a time consuming process of publishing new rules, and fighting court cases.

The political blowback from tearing down barrier is potentially too high for that to be feasible, so they will try to achieve their goals under the table - out of sight, with some plausible deniability they can use to mislead about their real intention.

Nevertheless, changing the terrain (with effective barrier) to significantly channelize people, and equipping the Border Patrol with loads of powerful technology is going to enable even fewer officers to be much more effective on the ground.


21 posted on 05/09/2020 6:08:52 PM PDT by BeauBo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: BeauBo

The Shelton Herald reports:

“When members of the government’s border wall team visited Laredo City Council in January, they mentioned that they had been granted the right of entry by about 40% of the affected landowners they have reached out to in the Laredo area. That number has likely increased.

This right of entry is for the government to be able to get onto private land in order to conduct surveys and see where the wall would be best aligned.”

Indications are that the Government has gotten serious this year, about exercising eminent domain to acquire the needed private land, in time to support the construction schedule. It has been a (the) major hold up in South Texas, but this year the effort has obviously ramped up considerably, especially when it comes to giving up on lengthy negotiations or chasing evasive contacts.

Many cases heading right up to a judge, where the Government’s authority is basically unchallengeable.


22 posted on 05/09/2020 6:21:30 PM PDT by BeauBo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: BeauBo

Contrast that Texas slowness with the NM-AZ-CA with the help of the 60 ft border frontage right of way. 450 miles 0f the 800 miles total with completed wall system by Dec 31. Plus the 220 or so of existing suitable wall built by Bush.

All the action west of El Paso for physical wall.


23 posted on 05/09/2020 6:32:35 PM PDT by bakkentom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: bakkentom

It looks like they have finally cracked the code on land acquisition in Texas, and are just going to do it.

Enough of the leadership has been replaced, that they now seem to effective folks (who will get it done) in place.

Early this year, Jared Kushner was charged with overseeing/troubleshooting the Wall effort, and the President reportedly made the decision to break the logjam there. “Take the land” he reportedly ordered.

When the Federal Government insists, it can literally take private land the same day. The power is plenary. Only the amount of compensation needs to be adjudicated.

So even though they are still going to courts in Texas, the timeframes are much shorter then they have been in previous years, which were mainly negotiating with the willing, and kicking the can down the road slowly with the unwilling.

I think we will see construction in earnest in the Rio Grande Valley this Summer, and extensive land acquisition in Texas through the rest of this year.

The Administration seems to be on track to get all the money obligated on contracts before the end of the year, so that the Program can complete, even should Democrats take the White House next year.

They well know that land acquisition can be a showstopper (President Trump himself was famously involved in a major eminent domain lawsuit in Atlantic City decades ago). So I think it likely that they intend to clear the field of land acquisition issues before the end of the year, for the same reason of protecting the Program, in the event of a Democrat winning the Presidential election in December.


24 posted on 05/09/2020 7:17:04 PM PDT by BeauBo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: bakkentom

So far, the revealed plan for Texas is to effectively wall off South Texas, from about 50 miles North of Laredo, all the way down to Gulf of Mexico (the remaining much smaller gaps can be heavily monitored and policed). They will also upgrade the barrier for a few miles around the El Paso, Del Rio and Eagle Pass urban areas.

Construction in Texas has lagged, but the money and the will seems to be there, to get something significant built.

One significant fact about much of the planned new border barrier in South Texas, is that Congress has specifically authorized it. The 2019 and 2020 appropriations were almost entirely designated for South Texas (RGV and Laredo Sectors). That shows that there is some particular bi-partisan political strength behind that build. Although it might be hard politically for them to admit it publicly, the elites down there really want it for security and development.


25 posted on 05/09/2020 7:29:55 PM PDT by BeauBo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: spokeshave

Is nueva laredo still the home of the 50,000 watt radio power house?
Is that the former Wolf Man Jack radio station....?

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Yup.

Was it XERF??


26 posted on 05/09/2020 8:18:30 PM PDT by thinden
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: BeauBo

[$275 million new contract dropped onto the Wall yesterday.

Only $400 million was allocated for the Wall in all of 2017, and it didn’t even all get on contract until into 2018.

Now that is a routine amount for the weekly drop onto new contracts.

We are starting to see Wall going up, like never before. It is going to be glorious!]


Good news, indeed.


27 posted on 05/09/2020 10:56:49 PM PDT by Zhang Fei (My dad had a Delta 88. That was a car. It was like driving your living room.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: BeauBo

Thank you as always for pings and updates.

Lots going on right now and not just on the wall!

Wowzers all over the place.


28 posted on 05/10/2020 1:33:32 PM PDT by little jeremiah (Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-28 last

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson