A Chattanooga-based heavy-civil contractor says it has secured approximately $2 billion in Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection work to build new border infrastructure across the Southwest, with one of the packages located just east of San Diego near the Maroon Valley and Campo areas. The bundled awards combine vertical and waterborne barriers with patrol roads, drainage, and integrated detection systems, structured as multi-year design-build packages. Field crews are expected to mobilize in January 2026, with each project estimated to run roughly 30 to 36 months.
In a company announcement shared with industry outlets, AIS Infrastructure stated that the four design-build awards total approximately $2 billion, listing contract values that include a $483 million San Diego County package and two Del Rio-area contracts worth $565 million and $364 million, according to Construction Dive. AIS plans to deliver the work through BCSS, its border-focused unit, which will operate a joint venture with Caddell Construction, a Montgomery, Alabama-based company, and Gibraltar, a Burnet, Texas-based company, to lead and manage all projects. The company states that HDR Design is leading the engineering, while procurement and site planning continue.
San Diego Sector Job Brings Steep Hills and Tight Staging
The San Diego-area contract, labeled SDC-1, covers mountainous terrain near Marron Valley and Campo and will include mountain access roads, vertical barriers, and advanced detection systems, according the trade press. Engineering and environmental planning are likely to be complicated by limited staging areas and sensitive habitat in the San Diego sector, which can affect sequencing and access. As Engineering News-Record explains, these combined civil-and-systems scopes demand more complex staging than standalone barrier segments.
Timeline, Hiring Wave and Heavy Gear on the Way
AIS and its BCSS unit say they will add roughly 350 to 400 employees and deploy nearly 100 additional pieces of heavy equipment by March 2026 to support the work, according to reporting from Construction Owners Club. The company expects field construction to commence in January 2026, with each project anticipated to last approximately 30 to 36 months. That hiring and equipment demand comes as contractors across the Southwest compete for operators and skilled trades ahead of next year’s mobilization.
DHS Ramps Up Border Contracting
The AIS awards arrive as the Department of Homeland Security accelerates sector-based contracting along the southern border. Reuters reported earlier that awards totaling roughly $4.5 billion had been made, noting that agency waivers were used to expedite some projects. Industry filings and company statements point to program-level funding in the tens of billions. AIS has stated that approximately $39 billion is earmarked for the broader border program, with $3.7 billion in IDIQ contracts under review, according to Construction Dive.
What It Means on the Ground
For builders and local communities, the package means simultaneous design-build work across multiple sectors and a significant increase in labor and equipment needs. “These are long-term infrastructure projects that involve complex roads, bridges and access systems,” AIS Infrastructure President Stephen Christensen told Engineering News-Record, adding that the work will require a significant ramp-up in skilled labor. Local jurisdictions and environmental stakeholders are likely to watch permitting and staging plans closely as engineering moves toward field work.
What to watch next: construction permits, contractor hiring notices, and the first equipment mobilizations scheduled for January 2026. We will follow local implementation details for the San Diego sector as agencies and contractors move from design into the field.
