Trump’s triumphal arch project faces fresh federal review in Washington

The National Capital Planning Commission met July 9 to weigh preliminary plans for Donald Trump’s proposed 250-foot triumphal arch on Columbia Island, a project that would rise at Memorial Circle on the west terminus of Arlington Memorial Bridge. The federal panel had already reviewed concept plans on June 4 and sent the project back for more detail before taking up the latest request for approval of preliminary site and building plans.

The proposal, submitted by the U.S. Department of the Interior, calls for a “New Monumental Arch” with a 166-foot-tall stone structure, a 55-foot-wide opening and gilded winged statuary, including two gilded eagles. The design also includes three interior levels, an observation deck, ticketing and security space, restrooms, program rooms and ground-level access through new crosswalks, refuge islands and traffic signals.

NCPC has pressed the administration for more information on traffic impacts, pedestrian access, parking and loading, lighting, materials, security and the legal justification for the arch’s height under the Height of Buildings Act. The commission also asked for continued coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration and the Federal Highway Administration, two agencies that could shape how the monument fits into the airspace and roadway network around the bridge, Memorial Circle and the George Washington Memorial Parkway.

The site carries heavy federal protections and symbolism. Memorial Circle began construction in 1940, Arlington Memorial Bridge opened in 1932, and the bridge and the circle were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. The bridge restoration was completed in 2023. Memorial Avenue, including Memorial Circle, forms part of the ceremonial connection between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.

The National Park Service says the project is subject to Section 106 review under the National Historic Preservation Act, and planning documents place an environmental assessment and draft programmatic agreement in the record. The National Parks Conservation Association has argued the arch would damage the National Mall viewshed, affect the relationship between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial, and revive an executive-driven monument process that Congress tried to limit in the 1986 Commemorative Works Act.

Public opposition has been substantial. NCPC’s public comment file contained 1,696 comments. Trump allies have argued that a 1920s authorization for two columns on Columbia Island tied to Arlington Memorial Bridge supports the project, while opponents say that old authorization cannot substitute for modern review.