On Friday, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan will consider whether to freeze steps toward President Donald Trump’s planned 250-foot Washington arch, with federal planners’ review of final plans set for Nov. 5.
The four plaintiffs — Vietnam War veterans Michael Lemmon, Shaun Byrnes and Jon Gundersen, and architectural historian Calder Loth — want construction-related steps stopped unless Congress authorizes the project. They say the arch would affect their visits to Arlington National Cemetery and the view toward the Lincoln Memorial.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) argues the plaintiffs lack standing and says a 1925 law authorizing Arlington Memorial Bridge also supports the arch. The plaintiffs contend the project needs separate congressional authorization under the Commemorative Works Act and 40 U.S.C. § 8106. Those are competing legal arguments; the court has not resolved them.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin submitted declarations saying the arch could support counter-drone and other security operations. Hegseth called it a “generational national defense opportunity.” The government says security features could be incorporated into the design.
The National Park Service (NPS) says its updated review identifies an adverse impact on at least one historic property. Six organizations, including Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), filed a brief opposing the injunction and supporting construction. The Washington Post reported Oct. 29 that VVA President Tom Burke told the newspaper by email that the national group had taken no position on the arch’s construction or design.
The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) approved preliminary plans in July and requested more information before final review. Its project page lists Nov. 5 for consideration of the final plans and shows no decision recorded. The DOJ says construction could begin as soon as that date if the NCPC approves the plans, the Department of the Interior (DOI) authorizes the work and the NPS issues a notice.
The government says the first six to eight months would involve below-ground excavation and foundation work. Above-ground construction is not expected before May 2027, and the projected total schedule is 33 to 39 months.
