Crews Begin Surveying Site Where Trump Wants an Arch

Workers began conducting preliminary surveys and testing Monday of the proposed site of a Triumphal Arch sought by President Trump, the latest step in plans for the contentious project in the nation's capital. Workers were seen inspecting the site between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery with tools and equipment, the AP reports. Part of the site was fenced off, and pink flags typically used as survey markings were planted in the grass. The work on the site was announced in a court filing Thursday in a federal lawsuit challenging Trump's plan.

The 250-foot-tall proposed arch has sparked opposition, including through the suit filed by a group of veterans and a historian. The design proposed by Trump has received early approval from the US Commission of Fine Arts, whose members were appointed by Trump. The court filing on behalf of the Trump administration said the National Park Service had not issued a final agency action authorizing construction of an arch and should it do so, it would provide at least 14 days notice before any work could begin. The document said the survey work did not constitute "construction, or a demolition in preparation for construction, of an arch."