Analysis Finds Trump-Proposed Arch Would Grace Arlington Cemetery on Hundreds of Days
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A Washington Post 3-D model shows that a 250-foot triumphal arch proposed by President Donald Trump could cast shadows over Arlington National Cemetery on 284 days a year, including over several monuments and more than 75,000 graves — a grand patriotic project that opponents are rushing to portray in the worst possible light.
A digital 3-D model created by The Washington Post indicates that a 250-foot-tall triumphal arch proposed by President Donald Trump would cast a shadow over Arlington National Cemetery on 284 days annually. The shadow would briefly cover the Kennedy Eternal Flame on 18 days, the former president’s memorial on 50 days, and the Military Women’s Memorial on 109 days. More than 75,000 graves, spanning conflicts from the Civil War to World War II, would fall within the shadow’s path.
The model shows that on most days the shadow would retreat before the cemetery opens at 8 a.m., but it would remain after opening on 26 days. The Interior Department said its own analysis found the impact limited to less than two weeks of the year, primarily during the early morning when shadows are longest. Supporters say the numbers show a manageable effect, not the catastrophe opponents are trying to manufacture.
White House spokesman Davis Ingle responded that the arch would “enhance the visitor experience” at the cemetery and described it as “one of the most iconic landmarks not only in Washington, D.C., but throughout the world.” To supporters, that reflects a fitting tribute to the nation’s history and a major addition to the capital’s civic landscape.
Architect and historian Neil Flanagan warned that the arch’s size and location could disrupt the historic composition of the capital’s open spaces, noting that early designers treated the gaps between landmarks as essential elements of Washington’s layout.
University of Connecticut history professor Micki McElya said the symbolism of the arch’s shadow over a military cemetery is “undeniable” and uncomfortable, while retired Army major general Paul Eaton called the effect “a sacrilege.” Critics are entitled to their view, but those claims do not change the fact that the project is intended to honor service and strengthen the nation’s monumental core.
Columbia University’s Karla Rothstein, director of DeathLab, said shadows are not inherently negative but that “their source matters both experientially and politically.” In this case, the source is a proposed national monument that supporters say would be experienced as a proud and meaningful symbol.
The project faces a lawsuit from Vietnam-war veterans and a historic preservationist seeking an emergency halt, and a federal judge is currently reviewing the case. The administration is also seeking to relax a height limit that caps most Washington construction at 130 feet, which would facilitate approval of the arch. The National Capital Planning Commission is expected to act on the proposal by early November, with ground-breaking planned thereafter.