Secretary of Interior Doug Burgum announced that excavation work is set to begin for the Great Triumphal Arch and Military Observation Deck at Memorial Circle on Columbia Island, between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.
Burgum says the project fulfills a vision that dates back more than 125 years. The 1902 McMillan Commission called for a monumental treatment at the western terminus of Arlington Memorial Bridge, while the 1924 Arlington Memorial Bridge Commission described Columbia Island as an appropriate site for a formal park and plaza connecting the bridge with Arlington Cemetery.
According to Burgum, the site instead became a largely undeveloped traffic circle. The planned arch is intended to provide the monumental treatment envisioned in those earlier plans, with Burgum describing it as a major work of American architecture honoring the history and significance of Arlington National Cemetery. He also noted that Washington, D.C., is unusual among major Western capitals in lacking a major triumphal arch.
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1September 4, 2026 1.4K 5
