Trump's triumphal arch is to be as high as a several-story building

US President Donald Trump wants to build the world's largest triumphal arch in Washington. The facility is to be 76 meters high, which is as high as a several-story building, CNN reported. There are concerns about air traffic safety at a nearby airport.

“We are the biggest and strongest country, (that's why) I would like it to be the biggest of all,” Trump recently told reporters aboard Air Force One.

The Independence Arch is intended to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the USA celebrated this year. President Trump emphasizes that it will be a patriotic monument that will honor American history and the service of soldiers. The project is to be inspired by the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

A source who asked to remain anonymous told CNN that According to the plans, the facility is to be 50 meters long and 50 meters wide, and there will be an 18-meter sculpture on its top. Its contractor has not been selected yet. The CNN interlocutor emphasized that a smaller-scale project is also being considered, but the president insists on a more monumental solution.

At the end of the year, Trump told Politico that construction would start within two months. However, the White House representative quoted on Tuesday said that the project is still being refined, which is why the plan to start work presented by Trump seems unrealistic.

The triumphal arch will stand on the Potomac, between the Lincoln Mausoleum and Arlington National Cemetery. CNN noted that such a large object may pose a threat to air traffic at the nearby airport. Ronald Reagan. Monument defenders also warn that the facility will disturb views of historical importance.

– The arch will be one of the most important monuments not only in Washington, but in the entire world – said White House spokesman Davis Ingle.

Donald Trump announced that the construction of the monument would be financed from private funds, including funds remaining after the implementation of his other project – a new ballroom in the White House.

From Washington Natalia Dziurdzińska (PAP)

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