Customs and Border Protection announces completion of border wall prototypes

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently announced that the six companies tasked with building prototypes for a southern border wall completed construction in San Diego, California.

CBP will now test and evaluate the eight prototypes over a 30 to 60-day period to determine which designs best fit its needs. The designs will be evaluated on characteristics such as anti-breaching capabilities, anti-climbing capabilities, anti-digging capabilities, impedance and denial of traffic, and safety for BP agents.

“Border security contributes to our overall national security and relies on a combination of border infrastructure, technology, personnel, and partnerships,” Acting Deputy Commissioner Ron Vitiello said. “Border walls have proven to be an extremely effective part of our multi-pronged security strategy to prevent the illegal migration of people and drugs over the years. Specifically, walls are part of a border enforcement zone, which includes patrol roads, lights and surveillance technology. These border enforcement zones give our men and women of CBP the best possible conditions to maintain a safe and secure border.”

Caddell Construction Co. (DE), LLC of Montgomery, Alabama; Fisher Sand & Gravel Co., DBA Fisher Industries of Tempe, Arizona; Texas Sterling Construction Co. of Houston, Texas; W. G. Yates & Sons Construction Company of Philadelphia, Mississippi; KWR Construction, Inc. of Sierra Vista, Arizona; and ELTA North America Inc. of Annapolis Junction, Maryland, built the prototypes.

On March 17, CBP issued two requests for proposals (RFPs), one for concrete wall design and one for design using materials other than concrete. CBP issued the RFPs in response to President Donald Trump’s January executive order directing the Department of Homeland Security secretary to take steps to build a wall along the southern border to increase operational control of the border.