Con Dig (02-Oct-26) — Nearly $272 million of new US Customs and Border Protection checkpoint construction awards leads today’s Construction Dig Daily Briefing, alongside another major Texas data-center development, additional healthcare work for Skanska and fresh US construction-spending data.
Southwest Valley Constructors lands nearly $272m of CBP checkpoint work
Southwest Valley Constructors has secured three major US Customs and Border Protection construction awards covering new checkpoint facilities in Texas, Arizona and New Mexico.
The awards include approximately $75.8 million for a new checkpoint facility at Sierra Blanca, Texas; $89.1 million for a facility at Wellton, Arizona; and $107.1 million for a new checkpoint at Las Cruces, New Mexico. The Sierra Blanca contract is scheduled for completion by March 2029.
Why it matters: The three awards represent nearly $272 million of committed federal construction work across the Southwest and provide a substantial new pipeline for Southwest Valley Constructors.
Skybox plans $550m fourth data center in Hutto, Texas
Skybox and Prologis have filed plans for a fourth data-center building at their Hutto campus northeast of Austin, with an estimated investment of $550 million.
The planned single-story building would span approximately 846,300 sq ft, making it the largest facility yet at the campus. Construction is scheduled to run from January 2027 through October 2028. The wider PowerCampus is planned to provide 600MW of IT capacity across approximately 3.88 million sq ft.
Why it matters: The filing adds another major construction phase to an already substantial Texas data-center campus and reinforces the scale of development continuing around the Austin market.
Skanska adds $60m to Fort Myers hospital contract
Skanska has signed an additional $60 million contract with Lee Health for work on a new hospital and medical office building in Fort Myers, Florida.
The amended scope includes interior build-out finishes and mechanical, electrical and plumbing work associated with the West Bed Tower expansion. The wider project includes an approximately 416,000-sq-ft, five-story hospital, a central energy plant and a roughly 125,000-sq-ft medical office building incorporating an ambulatory surgery center.
Construction began in June 2024 and is scheduled for completion in May 2028.
Why it matters: The additional award expands Skanska’s role on a significant Southwest Florida healthcare project and adds another $60 million of work to its US order book.
US construction spending rises 0.9% in August
US construction spending increased 0.9% in August from the revised July level to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $2.203 trillion, according to the US Census Bureau.
Private construction spending rose 1.1% month on month, including a 1.0% increase in private nonresidential construction. Public construction edged 0.2% higher, while highway construction was essentially flat, rising 0.1% to an annualized $150.6 billion.
Total construction spending remained 1.7% below August 2025, while spending during the first eight months of 2026 was 3.1% lower than in the same period last year.
Why it matters: The monthly rebound points to improved activity in August, particularly in private construction, but the year-on-year figures show the broader market remains below 2025 levels.
AWS launches $1bn US data-center community investment program
Amazon Web Services has announced a $1 billion, five-year investment program aimed at communities hosting its US data centers.
The initiative is intended to support education, workforce development and other community programs around AWS infrastructure locations.
Why it matters: The commitment highlights the growing economic and community-development footprint surrounding the rapid expansion of US data-center infrastructure, beyond the construction of the facilities themselves.
What we’re watching
Federal construction: Nearly $272 million of new checkpoint awards creates a significant Southwest construction pipeline.
Data centers: Hutto 4 adds another $550 million phase to the Texas development pipeline as hyperscale and colocation investment continues.
Market activity: August construction spending rebounded month on month, but remains below year-earlier levels.
Be the first to comment on "Construction Dig Daily Briefing – 2 Oct 2026"