Lawmakers cite airspace and process concerns as excavation reportedly begins
The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, led by President Donald Trump’s appointees, announced Thursday it was ending required consultations on the proposed 250-foot “Triumphal Arch” near Arlington National Cemetery, saying local historic preservation officers from Washington and Virginia had refused to sign off on harm-mitigation plans for 42 historic properties in the area.
The decision removes a procedural requirement for a project that was already expected to begin construction this month. It came as opposition from Democratic lawmakers intensified on multiple fronts: airspace safety, the structure’s planned military use, and what one congressman said was excavation activity already under way at the site in Virginia without proper notice.
The arch is to be built just outside Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, about four miles from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, the site of the 2025 midair collision between a military helicopter and a commercial plane. Trump announced earlier this week that the proposed “Triumphal Arch” would double as a complex to store military equipment, complete with the ability to deploy snipers and drones from the roof and plaza.
In a letter to the Pentagon and the Federal Aviation Administration, Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois said they “must reject this foolhardy plan and instead focus on increasing the safety of the airspace.” The letter, obtained by BBC’s US partner CBS News, argued that “the American people cannot afford to stand witness to Trump’s risky plan to place a 250-foot (72m) structure along a busy approach path, especially if he follows through on plans to station snipers on the arch and fly drones.” On Friday, Duckworth separately described the project’s planned defense role as “foolhardy” and called it “yet another Trump vanity project.”
Duckworth’s letter pointed to the 2025 midair collision at Reagan National as evidence of the area’s airspace risks. The FAA, however, ruled last week that the structure would not pose a risk to flights coming into and out of the airport. Duckworth’s letter asks the Pentagon and FAA to revisit that finding.
In Thursday’s announcement on ending the consultations, the council said the National Park Service, which oversees federal landmarks, had proposed a plan for mitigating potential harms to the 42 historic properties. Local historic preservation officers “raised concerns with the purpose and need of the Triumphal Arch,” the council said, and also questioned whether the service had adequately identified possible harms and planned sufficient actions to address them. Federal and state officials are not required to reach agreement on a project’s harm-mitigation plans, and consultations are allowed to be terminated when both sides cannot agree. The council expects to submit a final report on the process early next month.
Separately, Democratic Virginia Congressman Don Beyer, who is leading congressional opposition to the arch, said he found workers operating heavy equipment at the site on Thursday who told him they were “conducting archaeological work to evaluate the composition of the soil.” Beyer called that “deeply troubling,” noting that the administration is required to give 48 hours’ notice before work can begin.
“The Administration appears to be pushing ahead with activity at the site even while it still has not done the basic work necessary to understand the consequences of this project,” Beyer wrote.
A design rendering from earlier this year includes a golden winged Lady Liberty on top of the arch, flanked by two gold eagles, with the phrases “One Nation Under God” and “Liberty and Justice for All” inscribed in gold on either side of the structure.