WASHINGTON, DC — The National Capital Planning Commission approved the final site and building plans for a new Monumental Arch in Memorial Circle on November 5, 2026. The U.S. Department of the Interior submitted the plans for approval.

The proposed Triumphal Arch is an approximately 250-foot-tall reinforced concrete structure clad in stone and finished with granite. It would be built at the intersection of Memorial Bridge, Memorial Avenue, and Washington Boulevard in Washington, D.C. The arch is 166 feet wide with a 55-foot-wide opening and is ornamented by a central figure and two eagles positioned above each leg. It would include an observation deck with views of area landmarks, six stairways and five elevators.

Two pairs of elevators serve lower public levels, and a fifth serves the observation deck. Two large circular spiral stairs connect the ground level to the gallery level, two elliptical spiral stairs link the gallery to the observation deck, and two egress stairs provide exits to grade-level doors.

The project includes associated plaza and landscape improvements, utility and stormwater infrastructure, traffic and pedestrian circulation modifications, security features, lighting, and temporary staging areas south of the site. The updated final site plan removed 15 traffic signals while maintaining at least two at each pedestrian crossing. The traffic analysis study area was expanded to include four additional approaches, and future traffic volumes were projected using a 0.5% annual growth rate over five years. Primary source: ncpc.gov

The average queue length on Washington Boulevard is currently about 2,700 feet and is expected to maintain a length of about 3,000 feet in the future. The proposed signalized concept eliminates Washington Boulevard’s northbound through movement to Arlington Boulevard and its northbound left turn to Memorial Avenue. Memorial Avenue is approximately 60 feet wide, with dedicated curbside space for passenger pick-up and drop-off, staff parking, bus operations, and deliveries. Motorcoach parking and staging will primarily remain at Arlington National Cemetery, with Memorial Avenue available for overflow.

The Federal Aviation Administration issued a 'DETERMINATION OF NO HAZARD TO AIR NAVIGATION' for the arch on September 18, 2026, with a condition that the structure be marked and lighted with a non-standard eternal flame and continuously floodlighted by searchlight projectors placed at three or more equidistant points around the base. These projectors must provide at least 15 foot-candles (161.46 lux) of illumination over the top one-third of the structure. The National Park Service prepared an Environmental Assessment in October 2026 and determined that the proposed arch would not result in significant environmental impacts. Primary source: ncpc.gov

What's New

The purpose of the proposed action is to celebrate 250 years of American independence by honoring America’s founding principles through installation of a structure at the intersection of Arlington Memorial Bridge and Memorial Avenue. The Triumphal Arch would alter several historic views throughout the Memorial Avenue corridor, including the longstanding axial alignment between Arlington House and the Lincoln Memorial. The Arch would occupy the center of the designed vista between Arlington House and the Lincoln Memorial, obstructing the reciprocal view. Primary source: ncpc.gov

Smaller arches were dismissed from detailed analysis because they would have had greater impacts on the cultural landscapes, specifically the views between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. Executive Order 14252 directs the Secretary of the Interior to develop proposals to ensure Federal buildings and lands uplift and beautify public spaces. Groundwater in the project area occurs in shallow, perched conditions generally about 15 feet below the surface. Primary source: ncpc.gov