President Donald Trump’s proposed Washington triumphal arch is not expected to be completed until after he leaves office.
Under the administration’s proposed schedule, construction could begin as soon as Nov. 5, subject to regulatory approval and court proceedings.
It would require an initial six to eight months of excavation and foundation work, with above-ground construction beginning in May 2027 at the earliest, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said in an Oct. 28 court filing.
Total construction of the 250-foot-high structure at Memorial Circle is expected to take 33 to 39 months. That schedule would put completion in the second half of 2029 or early 2030, with Trump’s second term set to end on Jan. 20, 2029.
The DOJ filing was in response to a lawsuit filed in February by Vietnam War veteran Michael Lemmon and other plaintiffs seeking to block construction of the proposed arch. They argue it would block the historic sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.
The Justice Department urged U.S. Judge Tanya Chutkan in the District of Columbia to reject the effort to stop construction. It argued that the arch’s location and height could help defend the capital from evolving threats such as drones.
The arch has faced significant opposition in the courts. The state of Virginia and the District of Columbia sued the National Park Service and the Department of the Interior on Saturday, seeking to halt the start of construction, calling it “legally indefensible” and arguing Congress has not approved it.
Chutkan consolidated the legal challenges over the weekend ahead of the National Capital Planning Commission’s Nov. 5 meeting, which could determine whether construction of the arch can move forward.
The U.S. National Park Service may also issue a permit or other authorization on Nov. 5, according to the Oct. 28 filing.
The project is modeled on Paris’ Arc de Triomphe, which itself is based on triumphal arches the Romans erected to celebrate military victories.
The arch is part of the president’s drive to remodel Washington, which includes refurbishing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, redeveloping a golf course in East Potomac Park, and adding his name to the U.S. Institute of Peace.
At 250 feet tall, the arch would be roughly half the size of the Washington Monument and more than double the size of the Lincoln Memorial.
It would also be the tallest of its kind in the world, eclipsing Napoleon Bonaparte’s Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
The Federal Aviation Administration determined in September that the arch did not pose aviation safety risks. The FAA said the arch will include an eternal flame and floodlight projectors pointed at it to make it noticeable for pilots.
“Out of the 59 top cities and Capitals, Washington, D.C., is the only one in the world that does not have a triumphal arch, but it will now and, by far, the greatest of them all!” Trump said in a Sept. 20 post on Truth Social.
Bill Pan contributed to this report.
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