U.S. Army Responds To Criticisms That Tanks Will Damage D.C. Roads During Military Parade

The last major U.S. military parade was in 1991.

In 1991,  George H.W. Bush orchestrated a military parade to celebrate the end of the Gulf War.

Here’s what it looked like:

Yeah that was the only one I remembered (and I grew up in a military family), and even then of course it didn't have nuclear missiles.

— Ernie Tedeschi (@ernietedeschi) June 7, 2025

Now, 34 years later, President Trump is returning the military parade!

The Trump administration has orchestrated a massive military parade in Washington, D.C., on June 14th to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Army.

As the WLT Report previously reported, many military tanks are already making their way to Washington, D.C..

You can read about it here:

More Tanks Spotted Making Their Way To Washington D.C.

Some D.C. officials are concerned about the damage the tanks might cause to the roads.

Per The Washington Post:

Tanks scheduled to roll along the National Mall in a June parade for the Army’s 250th birthday are nearly double the weight limit allowed on D.C. roads without a permit, raising concern from D.C. officials about potential damage even as the Army has said it would foot the bill for any repairs.

For the spectacle Saturday — which is also President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday — thousands of soldiers, dozens of tanks and more than 100 other vehicles are scheduled for a procession on Constitution Avenue. The Army has stressed that it is taking protective measures to mitigate road damage, including installing metal plates at some potentially vulnerable points along the route, such as where the tanks will turn.

Constitution Avenue and other city roads maintained by local government generally support vehicles with a maximum gross weight of 80,000 pounds, according to the D.C. Department of Transportation. The Abrams main battle tanks — 28 of which are scheduled to participate in the parade — each weigh about 70 tons, almost double the street’s weight limit. The District requires a permit for any vehicle exceeding the limit. A spokesman for DDOT said that as of June 4, overweight-vehicle permits for the parade had been filed but were not yet finalized.

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“We’ve worked really hard to get our roads in a state of good repair,” D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) said at a recent news conference. “I remain concerned about it, I have to tell you. These are, for the most part, local streets.”
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NBC Washington has reported that street damage could total $16 million. Asked about this amount, Army spokesperson Steve Warren told The Washington Post: “It was an initial estimate for what it could cost if no mitigation efforts were taken. The worst-case scenario.”

Here was the Army's response:

There is concern that the military parade this weekend will cause damage to the roads in D.C. But the army says they prepared for that.https://t.co/iF1HDv4m23
#military #army #tanks #battle #Trump #parade pic.twitter.com/eOx8HD4XEm

— The National Desk (@TND) June 9, 2025

Per USA Today:

City officials have voiced concern about the toll the tanks' tracks could take on Washington's roads. In preparation, the Army Corps of Engineers has anchored steel plates along the parade route at spots where the tanks will make a turn. Most of those points are on the traffic circle surrounding the Lincoln Memorial, according to an Army map shared with reporters.

Although the Army has said it would pay for any damage to the roads, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said in late May she was still "concerned."

What's your take?

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