Trump's 250-foot arch: test pits by September 21, a court demanding 48 hours' notice
Interior Secretary Burgum announced excavation on the 250-foot arch on Columbia Island within two weeks. Veterans suing to stop it asked Judge Tanya Chutkan for a restraining order.
- What starts: Government lawyers say it is an archaeological survey of four test pits, no earlier than September 21, restored by October 31. Full construction would take two to three years.
- What is missing: No final approval from the National Capital Planning Commission, an unfinished FAA review, and no act of Congress. The administration cites a century-old Memorial Bridge statute.
- The court: Chutkan questioned the president's authority in April, when the government agreed to 14 days' notice. She has now ordered 48 hours' notice before any activity. No ruling yet.