Revealing the 'huge' cost of building the US-Mexico border wall

The cost of building the US-Mexico border wall is estimated at about 21.6 billion USD, much higher than Mr. Trump's previous statement of 12 billion USD.

ReutersOn February 9, citing a report from the US Department of Homeland Security, the "wall" built along the US-Mexico border, if implemented according to President Donald Trump's idea, would cost about 21.6 billion USD and take about 3 years to build.

The fence separating the US-Mexico border area through Nogales and Arizona. (Photo: Reuters)

Thus, this figure is much higher than the estimated cost that Mr. Trump gave during the election campaign of 12 billion USD as well as the estimate of 15 billion USD by House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

According to the plan, the wall separating the border between the US and Mexico, about 2,000 km long, will be constructed in three phases and completed by the end of 2020. Along with about 1,046 km of reinforced wall, the new construction will extend the length of the wall to almost the entire border between the two countries.

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security declined to comment when asked about the report. Meanwhile, the White House said it was “premature” to comment on the report until it was formally presented to the president.

The first phase of the wall would be the smallest package, with the goal of building 26 miles of fencing near San Diego, California; El Paso, Texas; and in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, according to the report.

Phase two is a bid to build 150 miles of wall around the Rio Grande Valley; Laredo, Texas; Tucson, Arizona; El Paso, Texas; and Big Bend, Texas. The final phase is to build about 1,070 miles of wall at unspecified locations, essentially blocking the entire US-Mexico border.

The Department of Homeland Security is expected to receive funding for the project from Congress in April or May 2017, ensuring contractors can begin construction of the wall by September 2017, according to the report.

US President Donald Trump once said that Congress would fund the wall upfront but that Mexico would have to reimburse US taxpayers. Mexico has repeatedly stated that it will not pay for the work.

Congressional delegations have been visiting the Mexican border area this month to assess funding needs, while government officials have begun working with contractors to plan steel purchases for the project, people familiar with the matter said.

According to a report by the US Department of Homeland Security, the cost of building a wall on the border with Mexico is higher than the estimates of President Trump and Congress because land prices in the project area have fluctuated recently.

Analysts say that construction costs or rugged terrain are not too big of an obstacle for the Trump administration when building a wall on the border with Mexico, but the legal battles related to this wall are the biggest barriers./.

According to VOV