US awards $4.5 billion in border wall contracts, DHS says

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The federal government has awarded 10 construction contracts worth $4.5 billion that will add 230 miles of barrier along the southwest U.S. border, the Department of Homeland Security said on Friday.

The contracts will add hundreds of miles to a so-called Smart Wall border security system that includes steel barriers, waterborne barriers, patrol roads, lights, cameras, and advanced detection technology, according to its statement.

Seven of the 10 contracts, which were awarded in September, went to BCCG Joint Venture, according to the statement from DHS and Customs and Border Protection.

"The Smart Wall means more miles of barriers, more technology, and more capability for our agents on the ground. This is how you take control of the border," CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott said in the statement.

DHS Secretary Kristin Noem issued two waivers for nine miles of Smart Wall in CBP's San Diego Sector and for approximately 30 miles in New Mexico within the El Paso Sector "to cut through bureaucratic red tape and expedite the construction of the Smart Wall," the statement said.

It was not immediately clear why the waivers were necessary. Such waivers are sometimes used to bypass certain environmental or other laws.

(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Nick Zieminski)

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