The US President Donald Trump has agreed to replace the fence currently surrounding the White House with the newest anti-climbing technology.
After the project is finished, the presidential mansion will be surrounded by a 13-foot spiked fence as opposed to the current 6-foot fence which is easy to climb.
The decision follows after several incidents in which people got caught attempting to climb the current fence to enter the White House premises.
The implementation of the project has already begun, whereas the starting point of the construction is at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue where parts of the land are currently blocked with a temporary wall.
The goal of the new fence, which is set to be finished by 2021, is to increase the security of the White House and prevent people from trespassing.
To make that possible, the fence with feature an 18-inch aboveground stone foundation as well as a 10’ 7” metal barrier with spikes on top of it.
According to the estimations, the fence, which will expand over 3,500 feet, will cost around $64 million and will completely surround the White House.
The anti-climbing design previously won the approval of the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts back in 2017.
“The proposed improvements seek to meet contemporary security standards while recognizing the historic and symbolic importance of the White House and the surrounding grounds,” the directive’s report read.
The first fence surrounding the White House was built by President Thomas Jefferson back in 1801. Only 7 years later, the wooden structure was replaced with a sturdier stone wall.
In 1833, the stone wall was removed and replaced with a metal fence, a form that has surrounded the presidential mansion ever since.
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