Judge orders 48-hour notice before any work on Trump-planned Arlington arch
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A federal judge reaffirmed a court order requiring the Trump administration to give 48 hours’ notice before any activity at the Memorial Circle site of a proposed 250-foot arch, pending archaeological review.
A U.S. District Court judge on Friday required the federal government to provide at least 48 hours’ notice before commencing any work at Memorial Circle on Columbia Island, the location slated for a 250-foot arch near Arlington National Cemetery. Judge Tanya Chutkan said the notice must be given before any activity beyond on-site information gathering, to allow identification of potential underground cultural artifacts.
The ruling follows Interior Secretary Doug Burgum’s announcement on Sept. 3 that excavation for the arch and a military observation deck would begin within two weeks. Burgum described the project as a major architectural addition honoring Arlington Cemetery.
Three veterans and a historian who sued in February asked the court for a 14-day restraining order to halt any construction steps. In response, the administration argued that the planned work is limited to standard archaeological surveys, involving mechanical excavation of four test pits no earlier than Sept. 21, with site restoration expected by Oct. 31. The government maintains that the activity does not constitute construction or demolition.
The arch, part of several initiatives proposed by President Donald Trump to alter the capital’s landscape, still requires final approval from the National Capital Planning Commission, which would need to grant an exception to the existing 130-foot height limit.