Trump administration to begin excavation for proposed Washington 250-foot ‘triumphal arch’

WASHINGTON, DC: Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on Thursday, September 3, announced the administration's plans to begin excavation within the next two weeks for President Donald Trump’s proposed 250-foot “triumphal arch” in Washington, DC.

The announcement comes as the project continues through the federal approval process and faces a lawsuit seeking to stop construction. The National Capital Planning Commission has also approved the site and preliminary plans but has not yet given final approval to the design.

Excavation set to begin as final approval remains pending

Burgum announced the planned excavation in a post on X, saying the work would take place at Memorial Circle on Columbia Island, between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.

“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,” Burgum wrote.

“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,” he added.

The proposed arch would stand about 250 feet tall, making it more than twice the height of the 99-foot Lincoln Memorial and taller than Paris' Arc de Triomphe. Renderings released by Burgum show a white arch structure with gold detailing, the words “one nation under god” and a gold figure holding a torch at the top.

The project has received preliminary approval from two federal agencies. The Commission of Fine Arts approved the plans earlier this year, while the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) voted in July to approve the preliminary site and building plans after several hours of public testimony. However, the NCPC has not yet approved the final design.

A National Park Service report backed the project, though it stated that it could have adverse effects on a host of iconic landmarks, disrupting the historical significance of dozens of nearby sites.

Veterans challenge project as administration seeks dismissal

The planned excavation is also moving forward while a lawsuit against the project remains pending. A group of Vietnam veterans and an architectural historian sued the administration, arguing that the arch would obstruct views of Arlington National Cemetery and cannot be built without congressional authorization.

“We believe that construction cannot and should not proceed apace, and we are prepared to inform the court that it needs to, at this juncture, needs to step in,” said Nicolas Sansone, an attorney with Public Citizen Litigation Group representing the plaintiffs. 

Burgum, however, in a series of posts on X, defended the arch's construction on historical grounds, arguing that the idea for a monument had been under works for more than a century, citing old reports of congressional attempts.

“Despite Congress’s intent, the site became and remains today a barren traffic circle lacking any monumental treatment and significant historic value,” he wrote, adding that over 70 cities worldwide had “beautiful arches” but now the US will have the “most spectacular and beautiful arch of them all!”