Army May Make Huge Arlington National Cemetery Expansion

Arlington National Cemetery may be about to undergo a huge expansion.

The Army is considering a plan to expand the cemetery by 38 acres and add 20 years to the life of the cemetery, according to an Associated Press report.

The cemetery currently holds the remains of more than 400,000 people, and there are 30 new burials per day. As a result, space is likely to run out by the mid-2030s. The Southern Expansion Project would aim to extend its life.

Cemetery officials unveiled details about the proposed expansion April 28, according to the report, which noted that the cemetery would require a land swap with Arlington County and the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Under the deal, the Army would take on land adjacent to the cemetery, and the county and state would get land for transit and traffic investments along the Columbia Pike corridor. Officials still have to reach a deal on the project, as there are some unresolved concerns: the Army worries that mass transit near the cemetery would cause aesthetic problems, although the county said they will build new facilities to address that.

The project would require funding from Congress, and would cost an estimated $274 million. If approved, the project is slated to begin construction in 2018.

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