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… pic.twitter.com/8aff90jKNd
— Secretary Doug Burgum (@SecretaryBurgum) September 3, 2026
Trump administration announces excavation for $100 million arch
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said excavation will begin within two weeks for the 250 foot Great Triumphal Arch near Arlington National Cemetery. The project is estimated at roughly $100 million.
Veterans ask judge to block Trump’s arch
Three Vietnam War veterans and an architectural historian asked a federal judge for a temporary restraining order to prevent excavation. They argue the administration lacks the necessary authorization and approvals.
https://apnews.com/article/854f5e59402c013bbea87da2b415f34d
Arch still lacks final federal planning approval
The National Capital Planning Commission has not given final approval, and the project needs a waiver from Washington’s normal 130 foot height limit. The proposed structure would be 250 feet tall.
Trump’s Washington construction projects could cost taxpayers hundreds of millions
PBS reported that there was still no official final budget for the arch, with estimates exceeding $100 million. It also placed the arch within a much larger collection of Trump administration construction projects in Washington.
Lafayette Park could get a permanent security fence
The Secret Service and federal planners are advancing an 8 to 10 foot fence around Lafayette Park, potentially restricting access to one of Washington’s most important public protest spaces. The proposal is part of the broader physical transformation of the capital.
AC