Trump’s Plan To Build 250-Foot ‘Triumphal Arch’ in DC Will Need FAA Approval

President Trump’s dream to build a massive triumphal arch — perhaps as tall as 250 feet — just across the river from Washington, D.C., in Arlington, Virginia, would eventually need approval from the Federal Aviation Administration.The proposed arch would sit in a large grassy circle just off the Arlington Memorial Bridge between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial. Because flight restrictions prohibit planes from crossing over the National Mall or the Pentagon, aircraft approaching Reagan National Airport must follow the Potomac River at relatively low altitudes through that stretch.The president’s project, which he says would serve as a new gateway to the capital, is currently being refined. One White House official told The Washington Post that the president intends for the structure to stand 250 feet tall — a height chosen to align with the country’s upcoming 250th anniversary.But the FAA’s “Notification of Proposed Construction or Alteration on Airport Part 77” says the agency must be notified about “any construction or alteration exceeding 200 ft above ground level.” The regulation says that applies to planned construction “within 20,000 ft of a public use or military airport,” which the arch would fall under.“Notification allows the FAA to identify potential aeronautical hazards in advance, thus preventing or minimizing the adverse impacts to the safe and efficient use of navigable airspace,” the FAA says in the rule.Despite the aviation hurdles, the White House plans to seek approval from the Commission of Fine Arts and the National Capital Planning Commission. However, it appears nothing has yet been submitted to the FAA’s Obstruction Evaluation/Airport Airspace Analysis site.The proposed 250-foot height of the arch would make it significantly taller than Paris’s famous Arc de Triomphe, which stands at 164 feet, and would even dwarf the current record holder, the 220-foot-tall Monumento a la Revolución in Mexico City.Mr. Trump is also reportedly considering options that include an arch at 165 feet high or 123 feet high.Mr. Trump’s arch would be nearly as tall as the Capitol itself, which stands 289 feet high, but shorter than the nearby Washington Monument, which is 555 feet 5 inches tall. It would also dwarf other nearby monuments like the Jefferson Memorial (129 feet), the Lincoln Memorial (99 feet), and even the White House (70 feet).“I’d like it to be the biggest one of all,” Mr. Trump told reporters Sunday night on Air Force One. “We’re the biggest, most powerful nation.”Safety concerns regarding the flight corridor have intensified following a deadly crash in January 2025, when a Black Hawk helicopter collided with a commercial American Airlines plane over the river, killing all 67 people on board. The helicopter was flying at 278 feet — higher than its 200-foot maximum allowance — when it struck the plane.White House spokesman Davis Ingle defended the arch project, emphasizing its potential legacy. “The arch is going to be one of the most iconic landmarks not only in Washington, D.C., but throughout the world,” he told CBS News. “President Trump’s bold vision will be imprinted upon the fabric of America and be felt by generations to come. His successes will continue to give the greatest nation on earth — America — the glory it deserves,” Mr. Ingle said.

Trump’s Plan To Build 250-Foot ‘Triumphal Arch’ in DC Will Need FAA Approval

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