The Trump Administration will soon begin construction on a new DC landmark. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum posted on X that excavation work will begin on the Triumphal Arch over the next two weeks.
“We are pleased to announce that after a very long wait (over 125 years!), we are preparing to start, over the next two-week period, the excavation work necessary for the Great Triumphal Arch and Military Observation Deck, at Memorial Circle on Columbia Island between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. This will be one of the Great Pieces of American Architecture, honoring the history and significance of Arlington Cemetery and befitting the most powerful Capital in the World,” Burgum posted.
Arch Plan Approval Process
President Donald Trump commissioned the 250-foot arch to commemorate America 250. His Commission of Fine Arts approved the design in May.
The National Capital Planning Commission has approved preliminary site and building plans. However, the commission’s final approval is required before construction to begin. A White House spokesperson said in an email to Washington Business Journal the excavation work “does not require approval, but rather helps in the process. … We will of course continue on our path of seeking final approval from all applicable entities.”
A recent National Park Service report backed the plan, but acknowledged that its height will interfere with the sightline of dozens of nearby attractions. “The same characteristics that make Memorial Circle sensitive from a preservation perspective are also the characteristics that make it the historically appropriate location for the undertaking,” the report said.
Oppositon to the Arch
Local preservation groups and lawmakers have expressed opposition. For example, in May, Rep. Don Beyer announced he was introducing Arlington National Cemetery Viewshed Protection Act to prohibit the arch’s construction, including the use of federal funds to build it.
Beyer has also raised concerns over how the arch would impact traffic. He sent a letter to Burgum and Acting Director of the National Park Service Jessica Bowron to ask for more transparency about traffic problems. “With the size of the project and the site’s location between Arlington Memorial Bridge and Arlington National Cemetery, the proposed construction would have significant traffic impacts on my Northern Virginia constituents,” he wrote.
Feature image courtesy the Commission of Fine Arts/Harrison Design
