Construction begins on UTB-TSC ‘campus fence'

UTB-TSC began construction Monday on their "campus fence" as their alternative to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's proposed border fence.

The structure is the product of a compromise between the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College and the DHS.

The winning bid of $1.04 million to build the fence was submitted by Thrall, Texas-based Construction Rent-A-Fence.

Construction workers are currently trenching land along the fence's footprint. Next, a concrete base will be laid to ensure that undocumented immigrants cannot slip under the barricade.

University employees from are referring to the barrier as a "campus fence," explaining that a structure that would have been built even without the urgings of the federal government. However, the compromise with DHS has accelerated the construction process, which must be completed by Dec. 31, 2008.

The 4,000-foot-long fence will take different forms its in order to blend in with the various campus environments along the border.

For about 2,000 feet, from the baseball field to the former Brownsville Art League facility recently purchased by UTB-TSC, the barrier will be punctuated by brick columns.

It will be 10-feet-tall along the entire stretch - a far cry from the 15- to 18-foot-tall fence initially proposed by DHS.

Existing fencing near the university's baseball field is currently being torn down so the new barrier can go up. Later, cameras and censors will be added to meet DHS's security demands.