The legal challenges to President Donald Trump’s proposed memorial arch are mounting, with the District of Columbia and Virginia suing in federal court Saturday as the administration says construction could begin as early as next week.

Three lawsuits now call for a halt to potential work on a monument that would rise 250 feet (76 meters) on a patch of grass off the bridge that spans the Potomac River, connecting the city with Arlington National Cemetery. That would make the arch 100 feet (30 meters) taller than the Statue of Liberty from its base to the top of the torch.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan is already considering issuing an order to halt the project until the original lawsuit against the Trump administration by three Vietnam War veterans and an architectural historian is resolved. She held a hearing Friday but did not immediately act, though she said she would move expeditiously.

In the latest lawsuit, two attorneys general, Brian Schwalb of Washington and Jay Jones of Virginia, argue that “as soon as Defendants break ground on this project, they will inflict irreparable harm on both the District and Virginia. The Arch site sits at the center of a major traffic artery between the District and Virginia, in the monumental core of the capital, on an island that straddles the Potomac River. During the three-year construction period, the Arch project will inevitably snarl traffic between the jurisdictions, produce pollution and stormwater runoff in the Potomac, interfere with emergency services, and pose numerous other challenges. ”

Like the original plaintiffs, they are also seeking a temporary restraining order to slow the administration’s plans to move ahead with construction imminently.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The lawsuit raises concerns about how the traffic interruption would impact emergency responses in a region where joint operations are the norm, including the January 2025 midair collision between a military helicopter and airliner that killed 67.

The Republican administration, in a recent court filing, said it had plans to seek final approval of the project, a Trump favorite, at Thursday’s meeting of the Capital National Planning Commission and possibly begin construction the same day, despite the two active lawsuits pending.

On Friday, the government submitted a 106-page plan for the arch that envisions a massive structure more than 12 stories high, including a huge bronze statue of Lady Liberty with wings and carrying a torch with an eternal flame. The structure would include an observation deck with east and west views, an “occupied roof,” and two mezzanines.

Inside the arch are rooms for program space, offices, a staff lounge, circular staircases, multiple elevators, and a “fire command center.” The project proposes significant traffic changes in the area, including rerouting traffic on nearby roads. Administration officials have said the arch will also have a national security function.