Washington (United States) (AFP) – A US federal judge blocked President Donald Trump's massive triumphal arch project on Thursday, casting doubt over the future of the project hours after it was green-lit by a public commission.

District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is overseeing the case, ruled that the Trump administration cannot start construction on the arch for two weeks while the court considers challenges to its legality.

The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) had voted 8-4 to approve the project earlier Thursday, despite hearing hours of testimony from dozens of furious opponents who questioned its legality and purpose.

Chief among the complaints was the location of the 250-foot (76-meter) tall structure: adjacent to the hallowed Arlington National Cemetery, the final resting place for hundreds of thousands of American service members.

The giant arch would be much taller than the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, its inspiration. It would also tower over the Lincoln Memorial, directly across the Potomac River.

The four dissenting commissioners had called for the decision to be delayed, noting there were legal concerns, a lack of congressional appropriation to fund the project and questions about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's claims of the arch's military use.

But the majority on the panel, which is controlled by Trump allies, voted against a delay and the Trump administration said it aimed to start work right away.

Chutkan's ruling sided with several veterans and the attorneys general of Washington and Virginia, who had sued seeking to halt construction of the arch.

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