Judge orders Trump administration to give 48 hours’ notice before work on 250-foot Arlington arch

A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to notify the court at least 48 hours before beginning work at the site of a proposed 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery.

US District Judge Tanya Chutkan issued the order on Friday, one day after the Interior Department said it planned to start work despite an ongoing legal challenge and the monument’s lack of final approval from a federal planning body. The order permits archaeological work required under the National Historic Preservation Act to determine whether underground cultural or archaeological materials are present.

The government told the court it plans to excavate four test pits from September 21 or later to search for artifacts and other cultural material. It said the site would be restored by October 31. Chutkan also reaffirmed an earlier agreement requiring 14 days’ notice before construction begins. She said construction or demolition intended to prepare for construction before final National Park Service approval would violate the court’s orders.

The legal dispute focuses on whether the administration has authority to build the monument. Military veterans and an architectural historian opposing the project argue that Congress must approve it. The administration says Congress effectively authorized it through a 1925 law concerning Arlington Memorial Bridge. Opponents reject that interpretation.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the work would begin after what he described as a lengthy wait. The government later told the court that the excavation was only an investigation and did not constitute construction or demolition. The proposed arch, designed to resemble Paris’s Arc de Triomphe, would stand near Arlington National Cemetery and honor American veterans, according to supporters. Opponents say it would damage the historic view between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House across the Potomac River. The National Capital Planning Commission is considering whether to allow it to exceed Washington’s usual 130-foot height limit.