Trump’s 250-Foot Triumphal Arch Set to Begin Construction in Washington

Construction work is expected to begin this month on a massive triumphal arch proposed by President Donald Trump, marking another major step in his efforts to reshape Washington’s architectural landscape.

US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced Thursday that excavation work for the project is expected to start within the next two weeks. The proposed structure, known as the Great Triumphal Arch, is planned for a grassy traffic circle between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.

The white arch is expected to stand about 250 feet, or 76 meters, high. Plans include large golden statues of an angel and eagles positioned at the top of the structure.

Burgum said the project would honor the history and importance of Arlington National Cemetery and described the planned monument as a major piece of American architecture worthy of the nation’s capital.

The location has generated opposition because of the scale of the proposed structure and concerns about how it could alter one of Washington’s most recognizable views. The site sits on an island in the Potomac River, between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.

Critics have also questioned why the Trump administration has not sought congressional input before moving ahead with such a significant alteration to the capital.

The arch would potentially affect the sightline connecting the Lincoln Memorial with Arlington National Cemetery, where hundreds of thousands of American servicemembers are buried. Both locations hold major historical and symbolic importance in Washington.

The project is part of a broader series of construction and renovation efforts undertaken by Trump since returning to the White House in January 2025. Several of those projects have generated controversy and legal challenges.

Among them is a large ballroom being constructed at the White House. Work on the project involved demolishing an entire wing of the presidential residence, prompting criticism over the scale and cost of the changes.

Trump has also overseen extensive renovation work involving the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall. The rectangular pool stretches for 2,028 feet and is one of the capital’s best-known landmarks.

The president has also been involved in a dispute over the Kennedy Center, the cultural institution named after former President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963.

Trump’s name was placed on the center’s walls for a period, but a judge later ordered its removal. The building’s facade remains covered by a tarp, while the venue’s board has voted to include Trump’s name in another form.

The proposed triumphal arch now adds another highly visible project to Trump’s efforts to leave a lasting mark on Washington. With excavation expected to begin shortly, debate over its design, location and impact on the capital’s historic landscape is likely to intensify.