ARLINGTON, Va. —

The Justice Department has initiated legal proceedings to condemn nine acres of land in northern Virginia to facilitate a major expansion of Arlington National Cemetery. 

Government lawyers filed the civil condemnation suit Monday in federal court in Alexandria. 

According to court papers, Arlington County will be repaid for the land with a realignment of Columbia Pike, a major highway running through the county. 

The condemnation will allow the cemetery to add roughly 50,000 spaces as part of an expansion project expected to extend the cemetery's life beyond the year 2050. 

The cemetery is also considering restricting eligibility rules that would extend the cemetery’s life even further.