Judge Blocks Start of Trump's 250-Foot Arch for 14 Days
The temporary construction ban followed an 8-4 vote by the National Capital Planning Commission approving the project near Arlington National Cemetery.
A federal judge has temporarily blocked construction of President Donald Trump's proposed 250-foot arch near Arlington National Cemetery, shortly after a federal planning panel approved it.
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan barred construction work for 14 days while legal challenges move forward. The order is a temporary pause, not a final ruling that permanently cancels the project.
The National Capital Planning Commission had approved the arch in an 8-4 vote after hours of public testimony. The court order followed that decision, stopping work the administration had wanted to begin quickly.
The arch is proposed for Memorial Circle, between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. The governments of Washington, D.C., and Virginia argue that construction would cause traffic, financial and other disruptions. Separate plaintiffs have challenged whether the project can proceed without congressional approval.
Chutkan found that the local governments were likely to suffer harm when construction began, according to reports on her opinion. The lawsuits remain before the court, and the temporary order does not settle their broader claims.
The decision is a new development after the lawsuits seeking to stop the project. Federal planning approval has been granted, but construction remains blocked under the court's temporary order.