Feature Illustration: Artist rendering of the proposed project. Image: Mortenson.
Posted: 5-14-2026
by Art Beanvidez
Edinburg (Hidalgo County) — Construction is underway on a $610 million biosecure production facility at Moore Air Base, where Mortenson has broken ground on the New World Screwworm Sterile Insect Production Facility. The project is being delivered as a design-build effort for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District, in support of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and its mission to protect the nation’s livestock and agricultural systems.
The scope of work includes the construction of a highly specialized, large-scale production facility engineered to operate continuously and securely. Designed by Perkins&Will, the facility will feature high-containment environments meeting stringent biosafety standards, along with fully redundant HVAC, power, water, and mechanical systems to ensure uninterrupted 24/7 operations. The building will house controlled environments that support every stage of the insect life cycle, from breeding through sterilization and distribution, requiring precision construction and integration of complex building systems.
Once complete, the facility will be the only sterile fly production center of its kind in the United States, with the capacity to produce up to 300 million sterile flies per week at full operation. Initial operations are expected to begin at a reduced capacity of 100 million flies per week, ramping up through a phased delivery approach. The sterile insect technique is a proven biological control method used to prevent the spread of the New World screwworm, a pest capable of causing severe damage to livestock and wildlife.
The project is being executed on an accelerated schedule, with early collaboration between the contractor, federal agencies, and trade partners to address the technical complexity and risk associated with high-containment construction. The facility represents a significant federal investment in domestic biosecurity infrastructure, reducing reliance on foreign production while strengthening the country’s ability to respond to agricultural threats. Located in South Texas, the development also reinforces the region’s growing role in supporting national defense, food security, and advanced research initiatives.
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