Trump Proposes 250-Foot Arch at Washington Memorial Circle

President Donald Trump has proposed the construction of a 250-foot triumphal arch at Memorial Circle, a traffic roundabout on Columbia Island between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. The monument, intended to honor 250 years of American history, would be more than twice the height of the Lincoln Memorial. The National Capital Planning Commission has already voted to advance the project to the next phase of review, with final federal approval possible by September 3.

A National Park Service assessment found that the arch would adversely affect 37 historic properties across Washington, D.C., and Virginia. The agency noted the structure would obstruct the symbolic connection between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House, as well as views of the U.S. Capitol, the Washington Monument, and the Eternal Flame at the Kennedy gravesite. Preservationists and veterans' groups have raised concerns that an observation deck on the arch would overlook funerals at Arlington National Cemetery.

While the U.S. Department of the Interior maintains the site is ideal and will enhance the visitor experience, D.C. state historic preservation officer David Maloney suggested an alternative location near the Frederick Douglass Bridge in southeast D.C. to minimize harm. Simultaneously, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation voted to rewrite Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act to streamline federal construction on historic properties, a move critics argue is intended to weaken the review process for the arch.