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Dive brief:
- The General Services Administration plans upgrade 38 federal land ports of entry along the country’s northern and southern borders using $1 billion in funds from the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the agency said Thursday.
- The aim is to modernize facilities while promoting clean domestic manufacturing and sustainable technologies. There is approximately $850 million for low-carbon materials and $60 million for emerging and sustainable technologies.
- The money will be used to convert buildings to electricity, upgrade water systems and windows, pave with low carbon concrete and, otherwise, upgrade facilities with greener materials.
Diving knowledge:
Texas Governor Greg Abbott is building border wall projects in his state and push the Biden administration to do more of the same, as Texas and the feds grappled with the issue in recent weeks. On March 8, U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton of the Southern District of Texas issued a temporary injunction temporarily barring the federal government from redirecting $1.4 billion that Congress appropriated under former President Donald Trump for a US-Mexico border barrieras the White House intended to do.
During his election campaign, Biden promised to stop all construction of walls between the United States and Mexico in the face of concerns about their cost, lack of effectiveness, environmental degradation and danger to migrants. Last year, Biden said his administration is required by law to continue building certain walls because Congress appropriated money for it.
Still, while not specifically funding the walls, the IIIJA designates $3.4 billion to build and modernize land ports and US Customs and Border Protection infrastructure on the nation’s borders with Mexico and Canada. GSA said it chose these land port projects based on the age of each facility and the security needs of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection.
Of the 38 projects, 23 involve electrifying building operations. Some of the larger projects include:
- The 28 acres Bridge of the Americas land port of entry that separates El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, which processes inbound and outbound commercial and non-commercial vehicles, as well as pedestrians. The $650 million to $700 million project would help CBP handle a higher volume of users. Construction is expected to begin in May 2026 and be substantially complete by June 2029.
- The Raul Hector Castro Land Port of Entry project in Douglas, Arizona, which would overhaul a 4.8-acre CBP facility. The $165 million to $185 million project would modernize and expand existing facilities for pedestrians and non-commercial traffic, while commercial activities would be moved to a new stand-alone facility called Douglas Commercial. Construction will begin in the fall of 2028, with substantial completion expected in 2031.
- The Douglas Commercial Port of Entry, also in Douglas, Arizona, which is the corresponding new 80-acre, $170 million to $220 million facility for commercial vehicles. Construction is expected to begin in 2025 and be completed in 2028.
- The 17.8 acres Calexico West Land Port of Entry in California, which is the main border crossing linking the agricultural industry of the Imperial Valley with Baja California, Mexico. About $400 million in projects include a new administration building and more inspection facilities, booths and vehicle lanes.
In addition to these modernization projects, GSA is investing an additional $100 million in low-carbon materials for 13 inland port paving projects.
More ecological contracting
The Biden administration is shifting some of the federal government’s massive purchasing power to low-carbon, American-made materials: through the IIJA Build America, Buy America Actwhich was based on existing Buy America mandates and the Buy Clean Initiativeby executive order.
BABA requires that all manufactured goods, construction materials, and iron and steel used in federally funded infrastructure projects be made in the United States, while Buy Clean directs the federal government to green its procurement practices and take other actions to achieve a net zero emissions economy by 2050. .
These land port projects will boost domestic manufacturing and improve security, GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan said in the statement.
“By incorporating clean building materials and clean energy technologies into these projects, we’re not only supporting bringing these border stations into the 21st century, we’re also supporting the clean energy industries that will lead our economy in the future,” Carnahan said. .
