Completed Border Wall Prototypes Unveiled In San Diego

SAN DIEGO, CA – The country got its first look at President Donald Trump's vision of a new wall between the United States and Mexico Thursday as completed prototypes for the structure were unveiled in San Diego. Eight prototype designs for a new border wall were completed over a 30-day construction period.

Four of the prototypes are made of concrete, and the other four are made of alternate materials, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Designed to deter illegal border crossings, all of the barriers are between 18 to 30 feet high.

In January, Trump issued an executive order instructing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to plan, design and construct a physical wall alongside the southern border of the country.

"The order also constructed DHS to use appropriate materials and technology to most effectively achieve operational control over the southern border," Acting Deputy Commissioner Ronald Vitiello said.

Construction of the prototypes kicked off Sept. 26 in San Diego's Otay Mesa community, seven months after the federal government asked for bids to build a wall on the border.

"We chose this area because San Diego is one of the busiest sectors in the nation," Vitiello said.

After concrete sets in about 30 days, each wall will be tested for breachability, climbing and digging, Vitiello said. Testing and evaluation will take about 60 days. It will take another 30 to 60 days to develop a new standard, he said, so the entire process could take up to five months.

A combination of the prototypes could be used in the construction of the final version of the border wall, Vitiello said, which does not yet have congressional funding.

Watch: Trump Border Wall Samples Take Shape

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Photo: People pass border wall prototypes as they stand near the border with Tijuana, Mexico, Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017, in San Diego. Companies are nearing an Oct. 26 deadline to finish building eight prototypes of President Donald Trump's proposed border wall with Mexico. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)