American contractor Thomas Fisher is pushing to build a waterproof wall along the border with Mexico that stops illegal crossings, provides flood protection and includes an elevated roadway for patrol agents, Fox News is reporting.
His firm, Fisher Sand & Gravel, is one of six firms picked to build prototypes for President Donald Trump's proposed wall. Officials from the Department of Homeland Security are testing the prototypes to determine their durability.
ABC News reported testing started on the prototypes in December.
Jackhammers, saws and hydraulic tools are being used in an attempt to get through them, ABC News said.
The prototypes were built near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry close to San Diego.
Billions of dollars are expected to be paid out to contractors who land a piece of the project — if funding is sorted out in Washington, Fox News reported.
Fisher said he believes his design gives him the competitive edge.
"I've always been a person who thought outside the box along with the team and because we're so vertically integrated I wanted to really do something that was unique so we started working on it almost two years ago when (Trump) first mentioned it in some of his campaign pledges," Fisher said.
He wants to build a patrol road on both sides of the structure, including an elevated roadway for patrol agents, according to Fox News.
All prototypes are 30-feet long and up to 30-feet high.
Fisher vowed he would be able to build the first 700 miles of the wall within 10 years.
"California, New Mexico and Arizona would all be complete," he said. "No exceptions."
Other companies picked to build concrete prototypes are Caddell Construction Co. of Montgomery, Alabama; Texas Sterling Construction of Houston; and W.G. Yates & Sons Construction Co. of Philadelphia, Mississippi.
Companies constructing prototypes using alternate materials include Fisher, Caddell, W.G. Yates & Sons, KWR Construction of Sierra Vista, Arizona., and ELTA North America of Annapolis Junction, Maryland.
The companies picked to build the prototypes are not necessarily guaranteed to be selected to carry out final construction, however, Fox News noted. Another bidding process for actual construction will take place if funding comes through.
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