President Trump has proposed a 250-foot "Independence Arch" near Washington, D.C., aiming for it to be the world's largest triumphal arch. The design would surpass Paris’s Arc de Triomphe (164 ft) and Mexico City's Monumento a la Revolución (220 ft). The proposed site lies beneath Reagan National flight paths along the Potomac, raising airspace and safety questions—especially after a deadly January 2025 midair collision that killed 67 people. Approvals from federal planning bodies are planned, but cost, timeline and formal FAA filings remain unclear.
Trump Proposes 250‑Foot "Independence Arch" Near D.C.; Aviation Safety Questions Raised
President Trump speaks in the Oval Office at the White House, with a model of the
President Donald Trump has proposed building a monumental "Independence Arch" near Washington, D.C., and has expressed a desire for it to be the world's largest triumphal arch. The White House has discussed a 250-foot design — significantly taller than Paris’s Arc de Triomphe (164 ft) and Mexico City’s Monumento a la Revolución (220 ft) — and would tower over nearby landmarks such as the Lincoln Memorial (99 ft).
Design, Process and Approvals
White House officials say the arch’s design is still being refined. The administration plans to seek approvals from the Commission of Fine Arts and the National Capital Planning Commission before moving forward. Budget estimates and a firm construction timeline have not been disclosed.
Airspace And Safety Concerns
The proposed site lies beneath the arrival and departure corridors for Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), which follow the Potomac River and require aircraft to fly at relatively low altitudes because planes are not allowed to cross the National Mall or the Pentagon. Aviation regulators have not publicly posted an Obstruction Evaluation/Airport Airspace Analysis filing for the arch on the FAA’s portal, and the FAA deferred questions from some outlets back to the White House.
“I'd like it to be the biggest one of all,” Mr. Trump said aboard Air Force One. “We're the biggest, most powerful nation.”
Safety concerns have intensified since the January 2025 midair collision over the Potomac River, when a Black Hawk helicopter struck a commercial airliner in a crash that killed 67 people. Officials said the helicopter was flying at about 278 feet over the river at the time of the collision, higher than a stated 200-foot limit for that corridor; the U.S. government later acknowledged liability for the accident.
Administration Reaction
“The arch is going to be one of the most iconic landmarks not only in Washington, D.C., but throughout the world,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle said. “President Trump's bold vision will be imprinted upon the fabric of America and be felt by generations to come.”
So far, the proposal remains at an early stage: no public FAA airspace-obstruction filing appears to be available, formal design submissions are still being refined, and cost and construction timelines are unclear. The project follows other recent federal architecture announcements, including plans to close and renovate the Kennedy Center pending board approval.
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