By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON, Nov 3 (Reuters) - The US Justice Department said on Tuesday that President Donald Trump's proposed 250-foot (76-meter) triumphal arch in Washington would not be completed until after the end of his second term.
If it is given the go-ahead, the DOJ said it expects an initial six to eight months of construction focused on excavation and foundation work that could begin as soon as Thursday, with above-ground construction beginning in May 2027 at the earliest. Total construction is anticipated
to take 33 to 39 months, the government said.
The project, modeled on Paris' Arc de Triomphe, is planned for near Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, just across the Potomac River from Washington.
The National Capital Planning Commission is set to hold a meeting to approve the project on Thursday and the Department of the Interior said in a court filing it may issue a final decision to approve the proposal the same day. The National Park Service may also issue a permit or other authorization on Thursday, the department added.
But the arch has faced significant opposition in the courts. The state of Virginia and the District of Columbia sued the National Park Service and Department of the Interior on Saturday, seeking to halt the start of construction, calling it "legally indefensible" and arguing Congress has not approved it.
Several veterans have also sued to block the arch, arguing it would destroy the historic sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.
The government urged US Judge Tanya Chutkan in the District of Columbia to reject the effort to stop construction. It argued that the arch's location and height could be used to defend the capital from evolving threats such as drones.
Others have raised fears about the arch's proximity to Reagan Washington National Airport and location within the airport's main approach and departure corridors.
But the Federal Aviation Administration found the arch did not pose aviation safety risks. The FAA said the arch will include an eternal flame and floodlight projectors pointed at it to make it noticeable for pilots.
The arch is part of Trump's broader push to remake Washington, including renovating the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, redeveloping a golf course in East Potomac Park, adding his name to the US Institute of Peace, and attempting to add his name to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
(Reporting by David Shepardson, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
