Ground will be broken on Donald Trump’s 250ft triumphal arch within two weeks, his administration has confirmed.
Despite legal challenges pending against the project in Washington, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum confirmed initial work for the new structure, dubbed the ‘Arc de Trump’, would start this month.
Announcing the ambitious programme, Mr Burgum wrote on X: ‘This will be one of the Great Pieces of American Architecture, honoring the history and significance of Arlington Cemetery and befitting the most powerful Capital in the World.’
He added that the planned site for the arch, the Memorial Circle, a roundabout at the end of the Arlington Memorial Bridge, is currently a ‘barren traffic circle lacking any monumental treatment and significant historic value’.
The Great Triumphal Arch would dwarf its French counterpart, which stands at a mere 164-feet tall.
It would even tower above the world’s largest arch of its kind, Mexico’s Monumento a la Revolución, at 220 feet.
Officials are planning an aggressive timeline to have the arch erected within two to three years, with work potentially taking place 20 hours a day to reach the tight deadline.
However the construction is facing opposition from war veterans over concerns it would overshadow the nearby military cemetery.
The project has yet to formally receive the green light from the National Capital Planning Commission, despite having approval from another federal body, the Commission of Fine Arts.
In addition, Democrats are arguing the huge landmark should be subject to review by Congress.
The president has insisted consent is not required as lawmakers previously signed off a different development on Columbia Island back in 1924.
Watchdog Public Citizen has launched a legal bid to have the arch stopped by a federal judge.
Its lead attorney on the case, Nicolas Sansone, told Washington Post: ‘Frankly, I’m befuddled as to what sort of legal authority the administration thinks it has behind it.’
A poll taken in April found that just 21 per cent of American’s backed the triumphal arch, against 52 per cent who were opposed the idea.
Earlier this week, the US Supreme Court cleared the way for construction to continue on another one of Trump’s pet projects, his $400 million White House ballroom.
Despite concluding the renovation, which demolished the 125-year-old East Wing, were ‘unlawful’, the court ruled that heritage conservationists did not have the grounds to legally challenge the project.
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