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Excavation work will begin over the next two weeks on a site where the Trump administration plans to build a tall memorial arch in Washington, D.C., a project that faces a lawsuit from opponents who argue the project will disrupt nearby historic sight lines.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced Thursday that work would start on the Great Triumphal Arch and Military Observation Deck, which will be located on Columbia Island, standing between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.
“This will be one of the Great Pieces of American Architecture, honoring the history and significance of Arlington Cemetery and befitting the most powerful Capital in the World,” Burgum wrote on X, along with mock-ups of the towering 250-foot arch.
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A rendering of the triumphal arch is slated to be constructed on Columbia Island in Washington, D.C. Excavation work is expected to begin over the next two weeks, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said Thursday. (Interior Department)
The images showed a white arch with gold detail, with “ONE NATION UNDER GOD” written on top. A gold Lady Liberty-like figure with wings and a torch stands above, as well as gold eagles with their wings spread outward.
The project faces opposition from three veterans and an architectural historian who argued that “congressional authorization is necessary and lacking for this project,” said Nicolas Sansone, an attorney with the Public Citizen Litigation Group representing the plaintiffs.
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A lady liberty-like statue is depicted atop the triumphal arch in a rendering released by the Interior Department on Thursday. (Interior Department)
“We believe that construction cannot and should not proceed apace, and we are prepared to inform the court that it needs to, at this juncture, step in,” Sansone told The Associated Press.
A 24-page report released last month by the National Park Service backs the idea for the arch.
However, the report noted that the project would have “direct and indirect adverse effects on the sight lines of historic properties.”
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In this mock-up provided by Harrison Design using an overhead map from Google Earth, the scale and distance of the triumphal arch to nearby Washington, D.C., and Arlington, Va., monuments is clarified. (Harrison Design via the White House Commission of Fine Arts)
In a series of posts on X, Burgum defended the project, saying the idea for a monument goes back decades. He cited attempts by past Congresses and old reports about discussions of the construction of a memorial.
The secretary noted that more than 70 cities, including Athens, London, Madrid, New Delhi, Paris and Rome showcase arches.
“Interestingly, Washington, DC, is the only major Western capital without an arch,” Burgum wrote. “Now after 125 years of waiting, the most powerful capital in the world will be the home of the most spectacular and beautiful arch of them all!”
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Fox News Digital has reached out to the Interior Department and the Public Citizen Litigation Group.
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The arch is one of several projects undertaken by the Trump administration, including the renaming of the Kennedy Center, a new White House ballroom and the refurbishing of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
