Survey work begins on Trump’s proposed D.C. arch as lawsuit proceeds

WASHINGTON (AP) — Workers equipped with surveying tools and pink marking flags fenced off a section of the National Mall on Monday, launching the first physical step toward a monument that has already ignited legal and political controversy: President Donald Trump’s proposed 250-foot Triumphal Arch.

The site, situated between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, was the focus of preliminary surveys and geotechnical testing, work disclosed in a court filing Thursday in a federal lawsuit seeking to halt the project. The filing, on behalf of the Trump administration, said the National Park Service had not issued final authorization for construction and that the survey work was “not … construction, or a demolition in preparation for construction, of an arch.”

The arch is one of several projects the Republican president is pursuing to leave his mark on the capital. It has already won early approval from the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, whose members were appointed by Trump. The design rises from four lions at its base to a torch held aloft by a Lady Liberty-like figure, topped by two eagles — all gilded. Inscribed in gold lettering would be the phrases “One Nation Under God” and “Liberty and Justice for All.”

A group of veterans and a historian filed suit to block construction, arguing the arch would disrupt the historic sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House and that the project exceeds executive authority. “Unless and until Congress has passed a law authorizing the arch, though, the project is unlawful, and the government has no valid basis for pursuing it,” said Nicolas Sansone, a lawyer with the Public Citizen Litigation Group representing the plaintiffs.

The government’s court filing said the plaintiffs had been notified of the survey work in advance and that should the Park Service issue a final decision to allow construction, it would provide at least 14 days’ notice before any work could begin. Sansone said the preparatory steps are a sign the administration intends to move forward.