A view of the US-Mexican border fence at Playas de Tijuana on January 27, 2017 in Tijuana, Mexico.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday said it would allow expedited construction of security-related barriers and roads along the nation's southern border with Mexico near San Diego, waiving environmental and other related laws.

In a statement, DHS said the infrastructure projects would focus on a roughly 15-mile (24 km) segment extending eastwards from the Pacific Ocean as part of U.S. President Donald Trump's planned border wall between the United States and Mexico.