Construction on President Donald Trump’s planned 250-foot triumphal arch in Washington could begin as soon as November 5, two days after the midterm elections, according to a new court filing from the Trump administration on Wednesday night, NBC News reported.
In the filing, the administration told U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan that it expects the Interior Department to issue a final decision authorizing construction ahead of a National Capital Planning Commission meeting on November 5. The arch is expected to receive final approval at that meeting, and if everything goes as planned, the administration says work could start the very same day.
Why the administration had to tell the judge
The notice was not voluntary. Chutkan, who is overseeing a lawsuit brought by Vietnam War veterans who oppose the project, had required the administration to give at least 14 days’ notice before any construction begins. The government agreed to that notice requirement in a consent order entered earlier this year.
In September, Chutkan went further, ordering the administration to give the court at least 48 hours’ notice before “engaging in any activity” at the site, with an exception only for work to identify archaeological artifacts underground. She warned that any construction or demolition in preparation for construction before the National Park Service issues a final authorization, or without 14 days’ notice, would violate her orders.
What would be built
According to the planning commission’s project summary, the proposed arch would rise about 250 feet in Memorial Circle, the traffic circle at the end of Memorial Bridge between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial. It would be a reinforced concrete structure finished with granite, about 166 feet wide, topped by a central figure and two eagles, with an observation deck reached by elevators and spiral staircases.
That height is well above the 130-foot limit that applies to most buildings in Washington, which is one reason the project needs the planning commission’s sign-off. The commission approved preliminary plans in July and is set to vote on final site and building plans at its November 5 meeting.
Veterans and Arlington County are fighting it
The veterans who sued in February argue that the arch lacks authorization from Congress and would block the historic line of sight between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, a view designed to symbolize the country’s reunification after the Civil War. The administration has argued that a 1925 law that authorized a now-defunct commission to build the Arlington Memorial Bridge provides the needed approval, a claim opponents dispute.
In April, Chutkan sharply questioned Trump’s authority to build the arch. And earlier this month, the Arlington County Board in Virginia filed its own federal lawsuit to block the project, naming Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and the acting director of the National Park Service.
Opponents have pointed to the president’s White House ballroom as a warning, arguing in court that the government kept building there even after courts found the project unlawful.
What happens next
The public can register to testify before the planning commission, with the deadline to sign up to speak on proposed action items set for October 28 at noon. Unless a court steps in or the commission balks, the administration’s own timeline points to shovels in the ground on November 5, just 48 hours after voters head to the polls.