Trump administration tells federal court construction on triumphal arch could begin November 5, 2026

The Justice Department filed notice with a federal judge that construction on a 250-foot triumphal arch at Memorial Circle near Arlington National Cemetery could begin as early as Nov. 5, 2026, contingent on National Capital Planning Commission approval that day and subsequent Interior and National Park Service authorization. Veterans and Arlington County have sued to block the project, and opponents asked Judge Tanya Chutkan for a preliminary injunction requiring congressional authorization. The administration cites a 1925 Coolidge-era law authorizing Memorial Bridge as legal basis.