Experts say Trump's arch would add one more risk
The Trump administration is eager to press ahead with its proposed 250-foot arch at Memorial Circle, a traffic island on the historic bridge connecting Washington, D.C. to Arlington, Va.
The grassy roundabout is not far from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA): An arch would stand just about two aeronautical miles from the airport's main runway, which is one of the busiest in the country.
"An enormous number of airplanes come over that site, basically every 45 to 60 seconds all day long 'til 11 at night," U.S. Rep. Don Beyer, a Democrat who represents that part of Virginia, told NPR.
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who → say → NPR
"Just imagine the disaster that could happen with all of these airplanes coming right across a 250-foot-high arch."
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all → imagine → arch
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The Trump administration maintains the arch would not pose an additional risk.
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arch → load → risk
A preliminary Federal Aviation Administration report said in June that the structure would likely not be an issue as long as it has blinking red obstruction lights on top, as the 555-foot-tall Washington Monument does.
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Monument → say → top
But it is still in the process of conducting a more comprehensive study, which could lead it to label the arch "a hazard."
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which → conduct → arch
An FAA spokesperson told NPR over email in early September that "the standard obstruction evaluation process is under way," both for the arch and cranes that would be used for construction, which the administration has said could be up to 320 feet tall.
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administration → tell → construction
Neither the FAA nor the White House shared a timeline or further details about those reviews.
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FAA → share → reviews
But NPR spoke to three aviation safety experts about the impacts of a potential arch.
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NPR → speak → arch
Their consensus: While the arch itself most likely would not pose a significant risk to most aircraft, it adds yet another variable to a notoriously crowded and complicated airspace.
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it → pose → airspace
"It's a small airport with one runway, nestled in a metropolitan area that's surrounded by prohibited airspace [near the White House and U.S. Capitol]," said Jeff Guzzetti, a retired accident investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration.
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Guzzetti → nestle → Board
The congestion — and complexity — of D.C.'s airspace is a well-documented concern, especially after the January 2025 midair collision between an American Airlines regional jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter that killed 67 people.
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that → document → people
Even so, some experts worry the FAA may be facing political pressure from Trump to rubber-stamp the project.
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FAA → worry → project
"The best, and the most basic option, is simply not to build it," Guzzetti said of the arch.
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Guzzetti → build → arch
Shawn Pruchnicki, a former airline pilot and accident investigator who now teaches aviation safety at Ohio State University, went even further.
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who → teach → University
He said putting a 250-foot arch in Memorial Circle would be "inherently dangerous.
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putting → say → Circle
"This is an unbelievably ridiculous idea, to put this arch so close to this airport just for the sake of his personal needs," Pruchnicki added, referring to Trump.
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Pruchnicki → put → Trump
The president originally said the arch was for himself, though he has since characterized it as a tribute to the country's 250th anniversary.
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he → say → anniversary
The White House has repeatedly said in statements that it will be "one of the most iconic landmarks not only in Washington, D.C., but throughout the world," and did not respond to NPR's questions about experts' concerns.
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it → say → concerns
Critics of the arch, of which there are many, have a wide range of objections, from its impact on Arlington National Cemetery and disruption of nearby historic sites to questions about its scale, purpose and financial cost.
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Critics → be → scale
Beyer, the Virginia congressman, said he has yet to meet a constituent from his district — on either side of the aisle — who wants to see it built.
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it → say → aisle
"The imminent concern, beyond his narcissism … is what it will do to transportation," he said, referring to planes as well as cars.
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he → do → planes
The Trump administration said earlier this month it would soon begin preliminary excavation work at Memorial Circle, even though questions — about aviation safety and much more — remain unanswered.
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questions → say → safety
The arch has not yet been approved by a key federal planning commission.
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arch → approve → commission
Historic preservation experts say the review process has been rushed.
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process → say → ?
And an ongoing lawsuit asserts that the structure can't be built without Congressional authorization, which Trump denies and has not sought.
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Trump → assert → which
The White House told NPR it continues "seeking final approval from all applicable entities.
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it → tell → entities
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What makes D.C. airspace so complicated
Guzzetti said D.C.'s airport, which opened in 1941, was "never meant … to have this amount of traffic."
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which → make → traffic
Because DCA is owned by the federal government, Congress regulates the number of flights — and lawmakers have historically wanted to facilitate travel to and from their home districts.
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lawmakers → own → districts
The airport was designed to accommodate about 15 million passengers a year, but now serves closer to 25 million.
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airport → design → million
Tom Lintner, who spent 30 years working in aviation safety at the FAA — including as an air traffic controller at New York's LaGuardia Airport — said higher traffic density means a smaller margin of error for air traffic controllers.
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density → spend → controllers
"As the traffic gets denser and denser, you may find controllers having to make transmissions every five, six, seven seconds," he said.
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he → get → transmissions
The January 2025 midair collision shed light on a pattern of close calls at DCA, resulting in a slew of rule changes and restrictions on helicopters.
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collision → shed → helicopters
But some say those measures are not enough.
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measures → say → ?
Just last week, two Democratic senators from Virginia introduced a bill that would cap hourly arrivals and gradually reduce flights over a four-year window starting in 2028.
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that → introduce → 2028
They cited an "overburdened runway" and "unsustainable traffic levels."
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They → cite → runway
"Since the collision, there have been numerous near misses in DCA airspace," Sen. Mark Warner, a co-sponsor of the bill, said in a statement.
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Warner → say → statement
Most recently, in early August, a military helicopter carrying President Trump briefly flew too close to a passenger jet leaving DCA.
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helicopter → carry → DCA
Federal investigators later found that ongoing construction of the White House ballroom contributed to radio problems that prevented air traffic controllers from hearing a warning of the president's takeoff.
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that → find → takeoff
Guzzetti says the August incident exemplifies the unique challenges and variables of D.C.'s airspace — even without a 250-foot arch along the primary flight path.
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incident → say → path
"This is just adding another hazard," Guzzetti said.
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Guzzetti → add → hazard
…and 52 more, not listed.
The Aporia
