Crews prepare for border levee wall construction next week

DONNA - Contractors started setting up construction equipment Monday to begin Hidalgo County's border wall and levee rehabilitation project.

The first churn of dirt marking the beginning of the levee barrier is slated for as early as Monday, July 21.

Residents have sent The Monitor photos of cranes and large pipes in the area of planned construction.

And there is a sign for the barrier's east construction office south of Donna.

But no county leader or contractor has confirmed the work is directly related to the wall's construction.

On Monday, Hidalgo County officials were in Washington, D.C.

Spokeswoman Cari Lambrecht simply said they were there through the week to meet with federal officials and discuss "issues with the levee and the barrier and planning for a possible ground breaking."

Lambrecht declined to discuss any further information until she spoke with county Drainage District No. 1 Manager Godfrey Garza Jr., who is serving as the project manager for the levee barrier.

Contractors received the official green light last week to start the project.

Plans call for a cement border wall - built as a hydraulic structure with earthen levees built into the base - to run 1.76 miles within Anzalduas County Park in Mission and 0.9 of a mile along the Lower Rio Grande Valley Wildlife Refuge in Donna.

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Jackie Leatherman covers Hidalgo County, Edinburg, the Delta and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach her at (956) 683-4424.