WASHINGTON: A judge temporarily blocked construction of President Donald Trump’s proposed 76-metre triumphal arch in Washington from beginning late on Thursday, shortly after it won a key approval.
US District Judge Tanya Chutkan issued a 14-day restraining order following an 8-4 vote by the National Capital Planning Commission to approve the project, after it heard from about 100 opponents, including Democratic lawmakers.
The Trump administration contends that Congress approved the arch more than 100 years ago when it also authorised construction of a bridge across the Potomac River.
“The sheer improbability that a 100-year-old statute would contain authority, unknown to every previous administration, to erect a 250-foot arch at a principal location in the nation’s capital indicates how far (the government) must stretch to justify this project,” Chutkan wrote.
She said approval would result in about three years of construction “that will disrupt traffic, create noise, result in large-scale excavation, and more”.
The Justice Department had said earlier that, if the project was approved, it expected an initial six to eight months of construction focused on excavation and foundation work to begin as soon as Thursday. Above-ground construction would start in May 2027 at the earliest, with the job expected to take 33 to 39 months in total.
“It will snarl traffic for years, impact the nearby airport, and present even more serious threats to public safety that this commission has refused to acknowledge and grapple with,” said Representative Don Beyer, a Democrat who represents northern Virginia.
The National Park Service also said late on Thursday that it had approved the project.
The arch is among several costly projects Trump is pushing in Washington despite opposition from local officials and conservationists. They include rebuilding the Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln Memorial, constructing a massive White House ballroom and overhauling the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
The arch has faced significant opposition in the courts. The state of Virginia and the District of Columbia sued the National Park Service and the Department of the Interior on Saturday, seeking to halt the start of construction, calling it “legally indefensible” and arguing that Congress had not approved it.
They also raised a number of concerns about the project’s impact on traffic.
At an event on Monday to highlight improvements to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Trump said the arch would also serve as a military asset and would be able to house drones and snipers.
“It’s right smack in the middle of everything, so very important for our military. But from a beautification standpoint, it’ll be the most beautiful arch in the world,” Trump said.
The arch, which would include an eternal flame and floodlights to make it visible to pilots, would be situated across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial, on a highway roundabout near the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery.
It would resemble the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, but stand more than 80 feet taller. It would also be nearly as tall as the US Capitol, which, at 288 feet, can be seen across much of Washington. The site is near the final approach path for aircraft landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
A rendering showed the flame would be held by a 60-foot-tall gold, winged female figure positioned atop the arch and flanked by gold flying eagles.
Critics say it would cast shadows over some graves at Arlington National Cemetery, while the Trump administration said it would honour veterans.