Washington– Workers began preliminary surveys and tests Monday for the proposed site of Arc de Triomphe Pursued by President Donald Trump, it is the latest step in plans for the controversial project in the nation’s capital.
Workers were seen inspecting the site of the proposed arch between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery using tools and equipment. Part of the site has been fenced off and pink flags usually used as survey markers have been planted on the grass.
Work on the site was announced Thursday in a federal lawsuit challenging the proposed arch. It consists of “geotechnical surveys and tests that are used to generate information that will assist the National Park Service (NPS) respondent in completing basic procedural requirements” that are part of the decision-making process.
The proposed 250-foot (76-meter) arch is one of several projects the Republican president is seeking to leave. His permanent mark on Washington. With the potential to change the city’s landscape, it has already sparked opposition, including through a lawsuit filed by a veterans group and a historian.
Trump’s proposed arch has already been designed Got early approval From the US Commission of Fine Arts, whose members were appointed by Trump.
The proposed memorial rises from the four lions guarding its base to a torch held aloft by a Lady Liberty-like figure at the top, which is flanked by two eagles – all painted gold. The phrases “One Nation Under God” and “Liberty and Justice for All” will be written in gold letters above both sides of the memorial.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did the Public Citizen Litigation Group representing the four plaintiffs.
A group of veterans and a historian filed a lawsuit in federal court to block construction on the grounds that the arch would disrupt the line of sight between the Lincoln Memorial and the Arlington House in Arlington National Cemetery, among other reasons.
The National Park Service has not issued a final agency action allowing the construction of the arch, and if it did, it would provide at least 14 days’ notice before any work began, the lawsuit on behalf of the Trump administration said.
The document said the plaintiffs were notified of the survey work in advance, and said the survey work did not constitute “construction or demolition in preparation for the construction of an arch.”
Nicholas Sansone, an attorney with Public Citizen Litigation Group that filed the lawsuit on behalf of the plaintiffs, said the government taking preparatory steps to build the arch is confirmation that it intends to move forward. “Unless Congress passes a law authorizing the construction of the arch, the project is illegal, and the government has no valid basis to pursue it,” Sanson added.