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Arlington Cemetery begins major expansion

Work begins in January on 20,000-niche columbarium that will will extend the cemetery\'s inurnment space to 2024.

Federal News Network Staff

December 1, 2011 9:00 am

< a min read

It is the first major construction at Arlington National Cemetery in nearly eight years.

Defense.gov reports construction will begin on a new 20,000-niche columbarium in January. It will extend the cemetery’s inurnment space to 2024.

It is the ninth, and by far the largest, columbarium at Arlington National Cemetery. It will be designed to have three or four inurnments within each niche, so a spouse can be laid to rest with a service member.

The columbarium is scheduled to be complete in 2013.

Meanwhile, cemetery officials plan to expand the cemetery’s grounds on two sides by another 70 acres. That will extend the cemetery’s ability to handle inurnments, burials and possibly mausoleums out to the 2050s. They say the biggest challenge is the lack of attention paid to the infrastructure over the years.

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