Construction halted for 14 days: judge promptly blocks work on trump triumphal arch after commission approved project
A temporary halt to construction
District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan issued the order just before midnight Friday. It bars the government from construction work for 14 days and grants a request filed by the governments of D.C. and Virginia.
In a 33-page opinion, Chutkan examined the administration’s justifications for the arch, including its recent focus on national security. She agreed that the local governments are likely to face harm from construction, with traffic disruptions expected to begin immediately.
Approval came hours earlier
The National Capital Planning Commission approved the arch in an 8-4 vote less than two hours before Chutkan’s ruling. The commission heard nearly nine hours of testimony from veterans, lawmakers, preservation experts, residents and others opposed to the project.
The proposed 250-foot structure would stand at Memorial Circle, a traffic island on the bridge between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. Administration officials said construction would run 20 hours a day, year-round, for two to three years.
Protest and meeting disruptions
Dozens of people protested at Memorial Circle on Thursday, speaking against the arch. White lines were visible on the grass; government lawyers later told the court that a construction firm had painted them on Saturday, apparently without National Park Service authorization.
The commission meeting began at 1 p.m. and was held online because 131 people had signed up to speak. Its livestream failed shortly after public testimony began, adding about an hour before it was restored.
Key points
- Chutkan’s order bars construction work for 14 days.
- The planning commission approved the arch 8-4 shortly before the ruling.
- The proposed 250-foot arch would stand at Memorial Circle.
- Lawsuits argue the project needs congressional approval, which the administration has not sought.