Excavation is expected to get underway within the next two weeks at the Washington, DC, site chosen by the Trump administration for a towering memorial arch, even as critics press ahead with a lawsuit claiming the project would interfere with historic views in the nation’s capital.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said Thursday that crews will begin work on the Great Triumphal Arch and Military Observation Deck, planned for Columbia Island, a prominent location 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, sharing renderings of the proposed 250-foot structure.
The mock-ups depict a white arch accented with gold, crowned by the words “ONE NATION UNDER GOD.” At the top, a gold winged figure reminiscent of Lady Liberty holds a torch, flanked by gold eagles with outstretched wings.
The plan has drawn legal opposition from three veterans and an architectural historian, who contend that the administration lacks the required approval from Congress. “Congressional authorization is necessary and lacking for this project,” said Nicolas Sansone, an attorney with Public Citizen Litigation Group, which represents the plaintiffs.
“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.
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The National Park Service, meanwhile, issued a 24-page report last month that supports the concept of building the arch.
Still, the same report acknowledged that the project would create “direct and indirect adverse effects on the sight lines of historic properties.”
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,” he 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!”
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Interior Department and the Public Citizen Litigation Group.
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.
