Story perspectives

Trump Announces Lincoln Memorial River Bridge, $5 M Cost Sparks Criticism

6/5/2026

Summary

Story summary

President Donald Trump announced a pedestrian bridge linking the Lincoln Memorial to the Potomac River.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the bridge revives the McMillan Plan and adds river access.
Rep. Ted Lieu called the project wasteful as consumers face higher gas, grocery and product prices.
The bridge must be finished before July 4, 2026, requiring the Interior Department to spend $5.1 million to regild Arts of War and Arts of Peace statues.

History

Historical Context

After President Warren G. Harding’s 1921 traffic jam, Congress funded design work in 1922 and authorized construction of the Arlington Memorial Bridge in 1925. Completed in 1932 as part of the George Washington bicentennial and the McMillan Plan, the bridge linked the Lincoln Memorial to the Potomac; December 1932 saw $55,200 transferred to finish widening Constitution Avenue. The new pedestrian span revives that river access.

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Story summary

President Donald Trump announced a pedestrian bridge linking the Lincoln Memorial to the Potomac River.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the bridge revives the McMillan Plan and adds river access.
Rep. Ted Lieu called the project wasteful as consumers face higher gas, grocery and product prices.
The bridge must be finished before July 4, 2026, requiring the Interior Department to spend $5.1 million to regild Arts of War and Arts of Peace statues.

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