D.C. and Virginia sue to block Trump's proposed 250-foot arch

President Donald Trump's proposed triumphal arch would rise 250 feet. It is planned for Memorial Circle in Washington, according to NBC News, placing the project at the center of a dispute over changes to the capital.

D.C. and Virginia contend that the project is "flagrantly unlawful." Their objections include traffic, environmental effects and historic preservation, NYT Politics reported.

The immediate pressure is the administration's construction timetable. In its October 31 coverage, The Independent reported that the administration had said it could break ground in less than a week.

On Saturday, October 31, Virginia and the District of Columbia filed suit in federal court to stop construction, according to NBC News. The filing came days before work was expected to begin.

The lawsuit targets the federal agencies involved. The Hill identified the defendants as the National Parks Service and Interior Department.

The new case adds to existing litigation. CBS Top Stories reported on October 31 that three lawsuits now call for a halt to potential work on the monument.

D.C. and Virginia are asking a federal court to block construction. The supplied coverage does not report a ruling on their request, so the filing itself should not be read as a court order stopping work.

The jurisdictions argue that the arch would permanently change the capital, according to Washington Post. That is their position in the dispute, not a judicial finding that the project is unlawful.

The immediate question is whether the court will act before construction begins. The administration's stated timetable leaves only days for that question to become urgent, according to The Independent.

Also unresolved is how the court will address the jurisdictions' traffic, environmental and historic preservation objections, reported by NYT Politics. The supplied coverage gives no hearing date or timetable for a ruling.