Construction of Donald Trump’s proposed 250-foot triumphal arch in Washington has been halted after a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order just hours before work could have begun.
Judge Tanya Chutkan ordered the administration not to undertake any construction-related activity for 14 days while a legal challenge to the project proceeds. The structure is planned for an area near Arlington National Cemetery and would stand at roughly the height of a 25-storey building.
The intervention came shortly after the National Capital Planning Commission voted by eight to four to approve the arch. The decision followed almost nine hours of heated public testimony, during which administration officials said work could start within 24 hours.
The project’s final cost has not been disclosed. Estimates have put the figure as high as $100 million, while officials have yet to explain how the development would be funded.
The commission’s vote highlighted a division between federal and local representatives. Supporters were members of the Trump administration or had links to the president, while those opposing the proposal represented Washington.
Democrats are also threatening to block the scheme when they take control of the House and Senate in January, following their midterm victories on Tuesday.
California Democratic Representative Jared Huffman criticised the proposal shortly before the planning commission met, saying: “The Great Gatsby party is over.”
He added: “The arch is an illegal project. It’s a monstrosity. It’s a slap in the face to veterans and to the history and the aesthetics of this sacred place. It’s unthinkable that this would be allowed to proceed.”
The arch is part of Trump’s efforts to leave a lasting mark on the US capital. The source material also states that elements of a planned White House ballroom have continued to move forward using funds allocated from the Secret Service budget, although parts of that project are involved in lawsuits.
The judge’s order now prevents the government from starting work on the proposed Washington memorial arch for at least 14 days.
