Texas Border Business
The United States Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC) on December 23, 2021 awarded a $6.4 million contract to Conti Federal Service, LLC to fix a gap in the Rio Grande flood control levee near Peñitas, Texas in Hidalgo County, Texas.
The project consists of the design and construction of approximately 800 linear feet of levee improvements. The major construction features include levee construction, construction of floodwalls,replacing an existing gatewell structure, and the construction of levee ramps.
The project is located completely within the USIBWC Lower Rio Grande Flood Control Project and directly adjacent to the international border with Mexico. The pump station is located at Peñitas, Texas and thelevee segments are located adjacent to the pump station.
This project will execute the second phase of a Memorandum of Agreement between USIBWC and Hidalgo County Irrigation District No. 1 (HCID1). The initial phase, completed in partnership with HCID1, focused on the rehabilitation of the HCID1 Edinburg Pump House, as well as constructing a portion of floodwall adjacent to the pump house. Phase 2 will tie into the floodwalls built under Phase 1 and will effectively complete the levee work in this area, closing the gap near the pump house that has existed since theflood control system was constructed.
The USIBWC anticipates the design phase to kick off in the January 2022, followed immediatelywith the construction phase anticipated in the first quarter of 2023 calendar year. Once construction is complete, the USIBWC will prepare and submit the levee certification package to the Federal EmergencyManagement Agency (FEMA).
“By closing the levee gap, this project will provide flood protection for the cities of Peñitas andMission, Texas,” said Juan Uribe, USIBWC Area Operations Manager for the Lower Rio Grande FloodControl Project. “Our partners at Hidalgo County Irrigation District No. 1
have been instrumental in moving this multi-phase project forward for the betterment of the community.”
The International Boundary and Water Commission, United States and Mexico, is responsiblefor applying the boundary and water treaties between the two countries.
