Work begins to replace layer of border wall in San Diego

Authorities say construction has begun on the fifth border wall project of Trump's presidency, replacing up to 14 miles of barrier in San Diego.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection the first panels are in place to replace a steel-mesh fence with 30-foot high steel bollards. SLSCO Ltd. from Galveston, Texas, was awarded a $101 million contract in December, with options for an additional $30 million.

The bollards replace a second layer of barrier that worked like a fortress when it was built about a decade ago but is now often breached with powerful battery-operated saws sold in home improvement stores.

Work on replacing a first layer of San Diego barrier is nearly complete, also 14 miles long and made of steel bollards up to 30-feet high. The old fence, built in the early 1990s, was made of corrugated steel matting used by the military as temporary runways.

The state of California and major environmental groups sued, unsuccessfully, over wall projects in the state, saying the administration overreached when it waived environmental reviews to speed construction. Last week, a federal appeals court upheld a judge's decision siding with the president.