Arlington County Sues to Block Trump's Triumphal Arch Near Washington

The Arlington County Board in Virginia has sued the U.S. Department of the Interior and the National Park Service (NPS) in a bid to block President Donald Trump's triumphal arch project, according to information released Thursday.

The 250-foot (76-meter) structure, inspired by the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, is slated to be built near Arlington National Cemetery, across the Potomac River from Washington, and could be approved as soon as next month. This is the first government body to take the matter to court.

According to the lawsuit, the project sits in a busy transportation corridor and would cause "significant harm" to residents and could force adjustments to nearby flight paths. The attorneys argue that the National Park Service did not conduct a thorough review, and contend that the arch would endanger public safety by clogging routes needed for emergency transport services.

"The National Park Service, the agency responsible for projects on national park land such as Memorial Circle, is moving very quickly toward ground-disturbing construction," the lawsuit states. "Although the agency claims it has not made a final decision on building the triumphal arch and says it is following an ordinary decision-making process, that hurried timeline appears to be merely a pretext to bolster the case for building the arch under the President's repeated directives."

The lawsuit seeks to halt the "frustratingly rapid pace to build the triumphal arch" to ensure compliance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act, and to carry out a full analysis and review.

Arlington County Board Chair Matt de Ferranti said in a statement: "The Arlington County Board is filing suit because our community stands to lose the most from this dubious and unlawful proposed project." He added that the county had acted in good faith during the review process, pointing out the "serious, specific and widespread" negative effects the project would have on the county and its residents, but that those comments were ignored.

The U.S. Department of the Interior sent a brief statement by email: "The Department continues to comply with all laws and regulations." The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

The proposed triumphal arch lies within the airport's main approach and departure corridor. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety determination requires the arch to be fitted with a flame at its top and floodlights to make it easy for pilots to spot. Some aviation experts have raised safety concerns because the structure is so close to the airport's main flight path. The FAA dropped a previous requirement for red obstruction lights, which are typically applied to buildings taller than 200 feet (61 meters) near airports, such as the nearby 554-foot (169-meter) Washington Monument.

The triumphal arch is part of Trump's broader effort to renovate Washington, including restoring the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, redeveloping a golf course at East Potomac Park and attaching his name to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Preservationists argue these projects would alter some of the capital's most prominent historic landmarks.

Although the triumphal arch has received preliminary approval from the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, whose members were all appointed by Trump, a group of three veterans and an architectural historian has sued in federal court in Washington, DC, arguing that the project requires congressional approval. The judge in that case ordered the administration to notify the court 48 hours before carrying out any activity related to, or in preparation for, construction of the triumphal arch.

Last month, Trump said he would turn the triumphal arch into a military complex capable of deploying drones and stationing snipers.