Final replacement panel of border fence put in place in Arizona
May 10, 2017, 7:23 AM | Updated: 1:39 pm
(U.S. Customs and Border Protection Photo)
Workers in Arizona have put the final piece of replacement border fencing in place near Mexico, federal officials said this week.
A crew installed the last of the 18-foot-high panels Tuesday in Naco in Cochise County, closing the remaining gap of 7.5 miles in replacement pedestrian fencing.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a press release the new fencing “improves situational awareness of illicit activities along the immediate border.”
Construction crews install final fence panel in Naco #CBP continues to secure America’s borders with updated fencing https://t.co/O2BDMLsYpd pic.twitter.com/IOESJDIMCT
— CBP Arizona (@CBPArizona) May 9, 2017
The fence is in the agency’s Tucson Sector, which covers 262 miles of the border with staffing spread over eight stations.
The department said the sector was among the busiest in the country.
Funding for the fencing was approved last year, but project plans were drawn up four years ago.
Other project plans included road improvements and fixes to low water crossings. They were likely to be finished in June.