Defense Department chooses 13 companies for border construction work

May 9 (UPI) -- The Defense Department announced the selection of 13 companies to compete for construction contracts along the United States' southern border.

The construction is in support of the Department of Homeland Security's San Diego, El Centro, Yuma and Tucson Border Patrol sectors, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' South-Western Division and South Pacific Division.

The firm fixed-price contracts are for design-build and design-bid-build projects of "horizontal construction task orders," a term that includes building of fences, walls, patrol roads and access roads, as well as installation of lights, access gates and other elements.

The announcement was made on Thursday.

BFBC of Bozeman, Mont.; Texas Sterling Construction Co. of Houston; Bristol Construction Services of Anchorage, Alaska; Burgos Group of Albuquerque, N.M.; Gibraltar-Caddell JV of Montgomery, Ala.; Fisher Sand & Gravel of Dickinson, N.D.; Southwest Valley Constructors of Albuquerque, N.M.; Randy Kinder Excavating of Dexter, Mo.; Martin Brothers Construction of Sacramento, Calif.; SLSCO Ltd. of Galveston, Texas; Posillico Civil Inc. of Farmingdale, N.Y.; Coastal Environmental Group of Central Islip, N.Y.; and CJW JV of Santa Ana, Calif., will bid on various sections and elements of the project.

Thirsty-eight bids were received. Work location and funding will be determined with each order, with a target completion date of May 2024.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Fort Worth, Texas, was the contracting agent.