A White House spokesman said the alley renovations included fixing broken lights. The project comes as the president has sought a broad overhaul of the White House and its surroundings.

© Eric Lee for The New York Times

In his breakneck construction of a grand ballroom and in many other initiatives, critics say, the president has tried to outrun judicial review.

© Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times

The Supreme Court gave a green light to the new White House ballroom, but several of the president’s other Washington projects remain stalled.

© Doug Mills/The New York Times