USIBWC Awards Contract to El Paso Firm for Rio Grande Levee Construction, Funded by the Recovery Act

The United States Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission [USIBWC] has awarded a construction contract for rehabilitation of Rio Grande Rectification Project levees in West Texas, funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 [Recovery Act]. The Recovery Act includes $220 million for USIBWC levee projects.

A contract in the amount of $8.3 million was awarded to Ultimate Concrete LLC of El Paso, Tex., to construct 15.4 miles of levee improvements in El Paso and Hudspeth counties. In accordance with the contract, Ultimate Concrete will raise and make structural improvements to 6.9 miles of river levee in the Fabens-Tornillo area and 8.5 miles at Fort Hancock between the Alamo and Diablo Arroyos, including a gated floodwall at the Fort Hancock-Porvenir International Bridge. The work is expected to be completed in early 2011.

"I am pleased that we are able to improve flood protection for the community while putting local people back to work," said U.S. Commissioner Edward Drusina [pictured].

The Rio Grande Rectification Project is a USIBWC flood control project that covers 85 river miles from El Paso to Fort Quitman, Tex. The USIBWC has already raised Rectification Project levees protecting the city of El Paso.

The USIBWC is raising levee height and making structural improvements to bring the levees into compliance with standards established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA] to provide protection against the 100-year river flood.

To date, the USIBWC has awarded $154.7 million in Recovery Act contracts -- including contracts for levee construction in Hatch and the Mesilla Valley, in New Mexico; El Paso’s Upper Valley, in Texas; and the Lower Rio Grande Valley, in Hidalgo and Cameron counties, Texas.

The purpose of the Recovery Act is to create and save jobs, promote economic recovery, and invest in infrastructure that will provide long-term economic benefits. USIBWC Recovery Act expenditures have already preserved or created 390 jobs.

The USIBWC provides regular public updates on its planning and spending of Recovery Act funds at http://www.recovery.gov/ and http://www.state.gov/recovery. A project schedule is available at http://bit.ly/RecoveryUSIBWC.

SOURCES: Recovery.gov, U.S. Department of State
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