Justice Department Says Trump's Proposed Arch Will Not Be Finished Until After His Term
The U.S. Justice Department said on Tuesday that Donald Trump's proposed triumphal arch in Washington would not be completed until after his second term ends, according to Reuters. The department put total construction at 33 to 39 months.
The arch would stand 250 feet (76 meters) tall and is modelled on Paris's Arc de Triomphe. It is planned near Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, just across the Potomac River from the capital.
The Justice Department expects an initial six to eight months of excavation and foundation work, which could begin as soon as Thursday. Above-ground construction would not start until May 2027 at the earliest.
Several approvals are still pending. The National Capital Planning Commission, the federal body that reviews projects in the capital, is set to meet on Thursday to approve the project. The Department of the Interior said in a court filing that it may issue a final decision approving the proposal that day, and the National Park Service may issue a permit or other authorization on Thursday as well.
Two lawsuits seek to stop the work. Virginia and the District of Columbia sued the National Park Service and the Interior Department on Saturday to halt the start of construction. Separately, several veterans have sued, arguing the arch would destroy the historic sightline, or view line, between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.
A federal judge has imposed multiple reporting deadlines related to the project, a development that The Hill said complicates the construction timeline.
The government has urged U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is hearing the case in Washington, to reject the effort to stop construction. It argued that the arch's location and height could help defend the capital from evolving threats such as drones. The Federal Aviation Administration, which oversees the nation's airspace, found that the arch did not pose aviation safety risks. The agency said the structure would include an eternal flame and floodlight projectors pointed at it so that pilots could see it.
