DC and Virginia Sue to Block Trump's 250-Foot Triumphal Arch as Construction Could Start Thursday

The District of Columbia and Virginia sued in federal court on Saturday to block construction of President Donald Trump's proposed triumphal arch, according to Associated Press reporting read this run. The 45-page lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, called the project "flagrantly unlawful," according to the reporting.

The arch is planned at 250 feet at Memorial Circle, where Arlington Memorial Bridge and the George Washington Memorial Parkway meet at the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery, across the Potomac from the Lincoln Memorial. The administration has said it would commemorate the country's 250th anniversary; the concrete structure is planned to be clad in granite, with two gilded eagles and a central winged figure, according to USA TODAY reporting read this run.

Attorneys General Brian Schwalb of Washington and Jay Jones of Virginia argue in the suit that the administration is bypassing legally required authorization from Congress and that the arch would nearly double the 130-foot height limit for buildings in the capital, according to the reporting. The suit also argues that breaking ground would inflict irreparable harm on the District and Virginia, including years of construction at the center of a major traffic artery between the two.

Saturday's filing is the third lawsuit against the arch. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan ordered both sides to agree on a proposed briefing schedule by Saturday evening for the motion for a temporary restraining order, according to NPR reporting read this run. The National Capital Planning Commission is expected to meet November 5 and decide on final site and building plans, and the administration has said construction could begin that same day, according to the reporting.