Excavation for President Trump’s 250-foot triumphal arch in Washington is set to begin within the next two weeks, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced Thursday, marking a major step forward in one of the president’s most ambitious donald trump dc building projects despite ongoing legal challenges.
“We are preparing to start, over the next two-week period, the excavation work necessary for the Great Triumphal Arch and Military Observation Deck,” Burgum said in a statement, according to The Hill. The structure will stand near Arlington National Cemetery at Memorial Circle, between the Lincoln Memorial and the Potomac River.
The 250-foot-tall monument is designed to commemorate the country’s 250th anniversary, with a gold-leafed Lady Liberty statue crowning the arch, according to BBC News. The arch would dwarf the Lincoln Memorial and reach nearly half the height of the Washington Monument, making it a dominant feature of the nation’s capital.
Construction will proceed at an intensive pace. According to ABC News, the project calls for work to occur 20 hours per day, year-round, running in two 10-hour shifts. Engineers estimate the entire construction phase could take two to three years, requiring multiple tower cranes up to 320 feet tall to complete the structure.
The Trump administration has pushed the timeline aggressively to complete the arch before the president leaves office. A federal assessment reported by The Hill found that the structure would adversely impact dozens of historic sites around the city, including by obstructing views of key monuments and landmarks.
Legal Challenges Persist
The excavation announcement comes despite active legal opposition. A group of Vietnam War veterans has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block the project, arguing it would violate federal law and mar the sacred landscape near Arlington National Cemetery. According to NPR, three Vietnam veterans—Shaun Byrnes, Jon Gundersen, and Michael Lemmon—teamed up with an architectural historian to challenge the arch, claiming it disrupts the historic sightline between Arlington House and the Lincoln Memorial that was intentionally designed to symbolize Civil War reunification.
As recently as September 5, these veterans sought an emergency court order to halt excavation work. A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to provide 48 hours’ notice before beginning construction, according to Bloomberg Law, but did not grant a full restraining order to stop the project.
Democratic Representative Don Beyer, whose district includes Arlington National Cemetery, called the arch “plainly illegal” without congressional authorization. “Burgum and the Trump Administration are disregarding the risks and rushing this towering monument to Trump’s vanity because they believe Republicans will get crushed in November,” Beyer said, according to The Hill.
The arch represents one component of Trump’s broader washington dc building projects. The administration is simultaneously pursuing a 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom that could seat 1,000 guests, renovations to the Reflecting Pool, repairs to the White House’s iconic front columns, and a new Marine One helipad on the South Lawn. Reuters reported that Congress provided $40 million for the arch project in 2025, which Trump plans to develop at West Potomac Park along the Potomac River.
The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts approved the arch’s design in May 2026, and the National Capital Planning Commission granted preliminary approval in August 2026. However, the project still awaits final approval from federal agencies before construction is fully authorized, according to the New York Times.
Sources
- The Hill — Interior Secretary Doug Burgum’s announcement of excavation timeline and Democratic criticism from Rep. Don Beyer
- ABC News — Construction schedule details showing 20-hour workdays and 2-3 year timeline
- BBC News — Arch height, design details, and Lady Liberty statue description
- NPR — Vietnam War veterans’ lawsuit, names of plaintiffs, and sightline argument
- Bloomberg Law — Federal judge’s 48-hour notice order
- Reuters — Congressional funding and West Potomac Park location
- New York Times — Final approval status and timeline concerns
