Federal officials are seeking an aggressive work schedule to construct President Trump’s triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery, which includes a 20-hour-a-day work schedule over two to three years, according to documents published on the Federal Register this week.
The construction phase could last up to 11 months and “would require several tower cranes, forklifts, skid steers, drill rigs, and concrete pumping systems,” National Park Service documents filed to the federal register said. “Work would occur year-round, with work occurring in two 10-hour shifts per day (20 hours per day, year-round) for the duration of the construction period.”
For months, Mr. Trump has been touting plans for a 250-foot triumphal arch in a traffic circle in between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. The proposed site technically falls within the boundaries of the District of Columbia, although it is on the Virginia side of the Potomac.
Vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian traffic on the Arlington Memorial Bridge, a key artery between Washington, D.C. and Virginia, and Arlington Boulevard, which borders Arlington National Cemetery, would be affected. Westbound traffic would be reduced from three lanes to two on the bridge.
Officials have proposed that the arch be located in the middle of Memorial Circle, at the entrance to the bridge, and the new plans say that the construction will require a “series of physical modifications within and around Memorial Circle.” Memorial Circle is also directly adjacent to the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery.
If construction goes forward as proposed, the arch would dwarf the 99-foot Lincoln Memorial, which is across the bridge. It would also be roughly 30 feet taller than the Plaza de la República in Mexico City, currently the largest arch in the world.
The National Park Service documents say the 250-foot height “is intended to celebrate 250 years of American independence.”
While many of D.C.’s monuments are constructed in natural stone such as marble and limestone, the arch will be built from concrete and finished with granite.
The Federal Aviation Administration said last week that it is conducting a full aeronautical study in coordination with the National Park Service, which is listed as the sponsor of the plan. The FAA said in a statement last week that “career safety experts found no adverse impacts to operations” at nearby Ronald Reagan National Airport.
The FAA feasibility study found that safety lights would need to be added, saying these red obstruction lights cannot “not penetrate the visual traffic pattern” and not “have any effect on airport facilities or radio/visual navigational and landing aids.”
The comment period on the arch is currently open. It will close on June 15, 2026.
