According to Fox News, Caddell Construction Company of Montgomery is one of four construction companies that have been awarded contracts to build concrete prototypes of President Trump’s border wall. Other companies to receive a bid are Fisher Sand & Gravel of Tempe, AZ.; Texas Sterling Construction Company of Houston, TX; and WG Yates and Sons Construction of Philadelphia, MS.
In a press conference addressing the prototypes, Customs and Border Protection Acting Deputy Commissioner Ronald Vitiello said, “Through the construction of prototypes, we are partnering with the industry to identify the best way to build new and replacement infrastructure along our border before we make further investments.” He also added that the agency requested that multiple designs and materials be used to construct the prototypes.
According to NPR, “each prototype will be 30 feet tall and 30 feet wide and will cost between $400,000 and $500,000.” Actual construction will begin in about two weeks, and they will have 30 days to complete their prototypes. Then, officials will take 30-60 days to inspect each wall to look for possible ways they can be breached.
The president began putting the pieces for his long-promised border wall into place with an executive order signed in January. That order called for securing “the southern border of the United States through the immediate construction of a physical wall on the southern border, monitored and supported by adequate personnel so as to prevent illegal immigration, drug and human trafficking and acts of terrorism.”
Despite signing the executive order, Trump has yet to get funding for the wall from the Republican-controlled Congress. At the end of July, the House did pass a $788 billion spending bill that includes a $1.6 billion down payment for the wall. But the same U.S. Senate that killed the repeal of Obama-care with the dissent RINO Republicans led by John McCain has yet to take up the measure.
Not to be deterred, President Trump says he’s willing to let the government shut down to get funding for his wall with Mexico. In a rally last week, the president said,“Believe me, if we have to close down our government, we’re building that wall.” Attorney General Jeff Sessions has also spoken vocally about his support for the border wall. Sessions promised to help the President fund the wall “one way or the other.”
Headquartered in Montgomery, Caddell Construction has projects all over the world. The company frequently contracts with federal agencies, with some of their most prestigious projects being the U.S. embassies in both Beijing and Kabul, the “Patton” Command & Control Headquarters Complex at Shaw Air Force Base, and Terminals A & C at Houston’s George Bush International Airport. Now, the company can add “Trump Border Wall” to that prestigious list.
