US Justice Department: Trump’s arch could be completed after second term — The Guardian

The US Department of Justice said that construction of the 250-foot, or 76-meter, triumphal arch proposed by Donald Trump near Washington could take from 33 to 39 months if the project is approved. According to the department’s assessment, the arch will not be completed before the end of Trump’s second presidential term, The Guardian reports.

Construction schedule

If the project receives approval, the first six to eight months are expected to be spent on earthworks and foundation installation. They could begin as early as Thursday, while construction of the above-ground portion of the arch is planned to start no earlier than May 2027.

The project, modeled after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, is planned to be carried out near Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington. The National Capital Planning Commission is to hold a meeting on Thursday to approve the project. On the same day, the US Department of the Interior may make a final decision, while the National Park Service may issue a permit or another document for the project’s implementation.

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Lawsuits and security

Virginia and the District of Columbia have filed a lawsuit against the National Park Service and the Department of the Interior, seeking to stop the start of work. The plaintiffs called the project legally unfounded and said it had not been approved by the US Congress.

Several veterans have also gone to court, arguing that the arch would destroy the historic visual axis between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. The government urged US District Judge for the District of Columbia Tanya Chutkan to reject the request to halt the work, saying the structure’s location and height could help protect the capital from new threats, including drones.

Warnings were also raised over the site’s proximity to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and its location on aircraft approach and departure routes. The US Federal Aviation Administration concluded that the arch would not create aviation safety risks. According to its data, an eternal flame and spotlights directed at it are planned for the structure so that it is visible to pilots.