Federal planners vote Thursday, Nov. 5, on the 250-foot Memorial Circle arch, and staff recommend approval. Work could start that day. See the traffic changes.
A federal planning body votes Thursday on the 250-foot arch planned for Memorial Circle, at the Arlington end of Arlington Memorial Bridge. If it is approved, construction could start the same day.
The National Capital Planning Commission meets online at 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5. The arch is an action item with a presentation on the commission’s November agenda, listed as File 8778, “New Monumental Arch.” The Department of the Interior is asking for final approval of the site and building plans. Commission staff recommend approval with comments, according to the executive director’s recommendation.
Three lawsuits are trying to stop it first. Two were filed by governments on Arlington’s side of the river: the Arlington County Board and the Commonwealth of Virginia, which sued alongside the District of Columbia on Saturday.
What would be built
The staff report describes the project this way:
- an arch 166 feet tall, topped with gold statuary, for an overall height of 250 feet
- a plaza of granite pavers inside a seat wall, in the middle of the circle
- new pedestrian refuge islands, crosswalks and traffic signals around the circle
The arch is meant to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary, the report says. The commission approved the preliminary plans July 9. The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts gave its final approval May 21.
Memorial Circle sits on Columbia Island, which is inside the District of Columbia’s boundary, the staff report says. It is the junction where Memorial Bridge meets the George Washington Memorial Parkway, Washington Boulevard and Memorial Avenue, the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery.
What it would do to traffic
The commission’s staff say the finished design will change how drivers use the circle. The northbound and westbound movements around it would be removed, and replacement routes were studied.
The staff report found:
- the only recurring congestion after the project would be in the weekday morning rush, on Washington Boulevard where it merges with the George Washington Memorial Parkway ramp, south of the circle
- the average backup at that merge would grow from 2,700 feet to 3,000 feet
- that backup would not reach the Interstate 395 interchange, about 7,000 feet south
Staff recommend the commission find that the design “may alter overall vehicular traffic movement around the circle and increase delays on Washington Boulevard from the south.” They say it would also improve safety for people walking and biking. The report encourages the Interior Department to keep working with Arlington County and other road agencies through construction.
Construction is where the lawsuits say the real damage lies. The complaint filed by Virginia and the District quotes the National Park Service’s own October 2026 environmental assessment. According to the complaint, during construction:
- the south side of Memorial Circle would be closed for construction and staging
- westbound traffic from Memorial Bridge would drop to two lanes
- about 20 to 30 trucks would carry 80 to 100 loads a day
- work would run year-round for about two to three years, up to 20 hours a day
More than 27,000 vehicles, 1,100 bicyclists and 1,200 pedestrians pass through the circle each day, the complaint says, citing the same assessment.
The lawsuits
Arlington County. The County Board sued the National Park Service on Oct. 8 in federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia, according to the county’s announcement. It asks a judge to block demolition or construction until a full environmental review is done. The county says the project could clog roads its emergency vehicles use and raise noise and air pollution from Reagan National Airport flights.
Board Chair Matt de Ferranti said the project was announced “entirely disregarding protocol and months of work.” “Enough is enough,” he said.
Virginia and the District of Columbia. The two filed suit Saturday, Oct. 31, in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (case 1:26-cv-03838). They name the Park Service and the Interior Department. The complaint argues the arch needs approval from Congress and breaks the 130-foot limit in the Height of Buildings Act. It also says federal lawyers told the court on Oct. 21 that work could begin the day the planning commission approves it. That notice was filed in an earlier case, Lemmon v. Trump (1:26-cv-00544), which is also challenging the arch.
The complaint says the extra traffic would make it harder for emergency crews to travel between the District and Arlington County, which provide mutual aid to each other.
“President Trump’s illegal vanity project is an affront to this hallowed ground,” Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones said in a statement from his office.
Neither the county nor the attorney general’s office had announced a ruling in its case as of Monday night.
What it means for you
- Watch the vote: The meeting streams at 1 p.m. Thursday at ncpc.gov/live. No registration is needed to watch.
- Have your say: Email written comments to info@ncpc.gov, or register online to speak. The deadline for both is noon Wednesday, Nov. 4.
- If you drive Memorial Bridge or Washington Boulevard: No closure has been announced yet. If work starts, expect the south side of the circle and a westbound lane on the bridge to close for years, based on the Park Service plans the lawsuit quotes. We will add closure dates to our road construction and closures page as soon as the Park Service publishes them.
- Visiting Arlington National Cemetery: The finished plan adds a pickup and drop-off area along Memorial Avenue, according to the complaint.
Frequently asked questions
When is the vote on the Memorial Circle arch?
The National Capital Planning Commission meets online at 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026. Final site and building plans for the arch are on the agenda, and the commission’s staff recommend approval with comments.
When could construction of the arch start?
As soon as Nov. 5, 2026. A lawsuit filed by Virginia and the District of Columbia says federal lawyers told a court on Oct. 21 that work could begin the day the commission approves the plans.
How would the arch change traffic at Memorial Circle?
The commission’s staff report says the design removes northbound and westbound movements around the circle and may increase delays on Washington Boulevard from the south. The Virginia and D.C. lawsuit, quoting the Park Service, says construction would close the south side of the circle and cut westbound Memorial Bridge to two lanes for two to three years.
Can I comment on the arch?
Yes. Written comments go to info@ncpc.gov, and speakers must register online. The deadline for both is noon Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026.
Have your say