The first stage of construction on President Donald Trump’s 250-foot arch in Washington, D.C., will begin over the next two weeks, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said Thursday.
“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,” Burgum wrote on X.
The new project follows a wave of construction and beautification efforts in the District as the president makes his mark on D.C.
The arch will be located at Memorial Circle, near Arlington National Cemetery. The scale of the project and its impact on the surrounding area have caused concern among some Washingtonians and lawmakers.
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When questioned about the arch, Burgum often argues that many major cities across the world have these kinds of monuments — though Washington will have the “most spectacular and beautiful arch of them all!”
“Over 70 major cities/capitals around the world, from London, Paris and Rome to Madrid, Athens and New Delhi, all showcase beautiful arches,” Burgum wrote on Thursday. “Interestingly, Washington, DC, is the only major Western capital without an arch.”
Critics of the monument say it could obstruct D.C.’s skyline — adverse effects that the National Park Service addressed in the agency’s mandated review of the proposed structure.
The NPS wrote that a larger arch “would allow a less obstructed view through its central opening and provide new viewing opportunities,” and concluded that since the arch comes as the nation celebrates its 250th anniversary, any arch smaller than 250 feet would not be “representative of this milestone.”
A lawsuit challenging the arch’s construction is still pending in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. In April, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan ordered the NPS to provide the court with at least 14 days’ notice prior to “commencement of construction, or demolition in preparation for construction.”
It was not immediately unclear whether Burgum’s Thursday announcement of excavation occurring over the next two weeks constitutes that notice.
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