President Trump has set a November 5 deadline for the start of construction on a 250‑foot arch to be erected in a traffic circle across the Potomac from the Lincoln Memorial, a move that would place a towering monument on the edge of Arlington National Cemetery. The project, which the administration claims is backed by the 1925 Coolidge Act that authorized the Memorial Bridge, has already received preliminary approval from the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts but still awaits final clearance from the National Capital Planning Commission and the Interior Department.
Three veterans and a retired architectural historian—named in the filing—have sued, asking Federal Judge Tanya Chutkan to grant a preliminary injunction that would stop construction before the NCPC votes. They argue that the 1925 legislation cannot be used to authorize a new monument and that Congress must explicitly approve the arch.
The lawsuit arrives after the Justice Department sent a notice to the court on Oct. 21, and after a judge ordered the administration to give at least 14 days’ notice before any work begins. The plaintiffs contend that the administration’s continued preparations, including site testing and design work, violate the court’s demands and risk a premature start while the legal dispute remains unresolved.
Judge Chutkan has directed the parties to submit a schedule for further filings by noon Friday, setting the stage for a decision that could either green‑light the arch on the same day the NCPC meets or halt the project entirely until Congress acts.