The Trump administration has pushed forward with plans to build border walls in the Big Bend region of West Texas for the first time, awarding three contracts worth a combined $3.16 billion in March, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s latest plans obtained by Marfa Public Radio and the Associated Press. The projects would erect 30-foot steel bollard walls along 175 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border through Hudspeth, Jeff Davis and Presidio counties — remote desert terrain that includes Big Bend Ranch State Park.
The construction is divided into three segments. Big Bend 1 will run from Sierra Blanca to near the Hudspeth-Jeff Davis county line. Big Bend 2 stretches from Ruidosa to near the Madera Canyon Campgrounds inside the state park. Big Bend 3 fills the gap between the Hudspeth-Jeff Davis county line and Ruidosa. Barnard Construction Company won a $1 billion contract for Big Bend 1 and a separate $960.4 million contract for Big Bend 3. Fisher Sand and Gravel secured a $1.2 billion contract for Big Bend 2. All three contracts were awarded in March, but the administration did not publicly announce the awards at the time, the AP reported.
Since news of the plan first surfaced late last year, the administration has repeatedly altered the route and scope of the projects without public notice, according to Marfa Public Radio, which has closely tracked the developments. Few details have been communicated clearly, and the shifting plans have added to confusion in the affected counties, local officials said. The administration has not publicly explained the reasons for the changes or provided a firm construction timeline.