Trump Announces Plan to Repurpose Proposed Triumphal Arch as Military Complex
President Trump said he will convert the planned 250-foot Triumphal Arch near Arlington Memorial Bridge into a military facility that will store drones and sniper equipment.
President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that he has agreed to change the design of the proposed Triumphal Arch near the Arlington Memorial Bridge into a "top-grade Military Complex." In a post on his social-media platform, he said the conversion is being made at the request of the United States military for national-security reasons.
The 250-foot structure, originally slated to begin construction this month, was to be clad in granite, topped with three gold statues and include an observation deck. Trump said the revised facility will "house, store, and have the rapid ability to use large numbers of drones, plus snipers, on both the roof and plaza areas," and will store "large quantities of sniper ammunition."
The administration has linked the project to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, while critics have raised concerns that the monument’s height could obstruct sightlines between existing Washington, D.C., landmarks and Arlington National Cemetery, and that its proximity to Ronald Reagan Washington International Airport could pose safety issues.