WASHINGTON — President Trump is changing the way he approaches the West Wing — literally — by swapping out the current gray pavement for a black granite walkway, The Post can exclusively reveal.
The swap will affect the West Wing Colonnade, the walking path from the executive residence to the Oval Office.
Preparation for the construction work began on Monday.
The covered, column-lined pathway runs alongside the Rose Garden and takes pedestrians past the Presidential Walk of Fame, Trump’s installation of framed portraits of past chief executives — and one autopen in the case of Joe Biden.
The new pathway is meant to contrast with the gold frames that surround the presidential portraits.
The National Park Service will take possession of the current Tennessee flagstone pavers. The stones will be sent to a nursery where they will be kept for future use.
Trump has been on a renovation kick at the White House in his second term, knocking down the East Wing to build a ballroom, redecorating the Oval Office, and adding gold-plated signage to various areas of the building. He’s also added new statues around the campus and paved over the Rose Garden to make it easier to hold events there.
“President Trump continues to implement long-overdue and necessary renovations to beautify the People’s House as we approach our great Nation’s 250th anniversary of independence. Thanks to the Builder-in-Chief, the White House will be properly glorified and remain in excellent condition for generations to come,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle told The Post.
The pathway, known as the “45-second commute,” was originally built for Thomas Jefferson as a covered area alongside spaces like the ice house and servants’ bedrooms.
It’s been used by every president since.
White House staff and guests also use the pathway to get between the Executive Mansion and the West Wing.
The president has expanded his vision for the nation’s capital beyond the White House to include designs for a triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery and a national garden of American heroes on the Potomac River.
