Source: Politics<\/p>\n
Construction crews could begin the excavation process for what will be President Donald Trump\u2019s massive 250-foot-tall arch in as soon as the next two weeks, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The monument \u2014 which will be erected in a traffic circle at the head of the Memorial Bridge over the Potomac River, coming between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington Cemetery \u2014 has generated controversy as concerns emerged about the design<\/a> and traffic congestion during construction<\/a>.<\/p>\n The arch would take two to three years to construct on the proposed schedule, according to documents released in June.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are pleased to announce that after a very long wait (over 125 years!), we are preparing to start, over the next two-week period, the excavation work necessary for the Great Triumphal Arch and Military Observation Deck,\u201d Burgum said in a social media post<\/a>.<\/p>\n The 250-foot-tall arch will be among Trump’s most visible projects, as the administration continues its attempts to remake Washington<\/a>. Critics, however, have voiced fears that the structure may be too large, and overshadow other monuments, like the Lincoln Memorial on the other side of the Potomac River.<\/p>\n The proposed arch will dwarf the Arc de Triomphe in Paris in size. It is unclear at this time how much construction will cost; the National Endowment for the Humanities earmarked $15 million<\/a> for the monument.<\/p>\n \u201cThis will be one the the Great Pieces of American Architecture, honoring the history and significance of Arlington National Cemetery and befitting the most powerful Capital in the World,\u201d Burgum said.<\/p>\n The monument will be constructed on land overseen by the National Park Service, and critics have argued Trump\u2019s latest project requires explicit congressional approval. However, the Interior secretary continues to rebut these claims.<\/p>\n Instead, Burgum echoed previous statements and said historically \u201cCongress and various congressionally chartered commissions decreed that a monumental work should adorn Columbia Island,\u201d the traffic circle where the monument is planned to be constructed.<\/p>\n \u201cDespite Congress\u2019s intent, the site became and remains today a barren traffic circle lacking any monumental treatment and significant historic value,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n