Construction reportedly has started on a new White House South Lawn helipad.

Crews worked late into Monday night to begin the project near the South Portico, the traditional landing site for Marine One, according to The Washington Post, which cited three people familiar with the effort.

The White House has not formally announced the project.

Newsmax reached out to the White House for comment.

The helipad reportedly is intended to solve a longstanding operational problem involving the military's new VH-92A Patriot presidential helicopters, whose downward-facing exhaust can scorch the White House lawn during landings.

The aircraft, built by Sikorsky Aircraft, a Lockheed Martin company, has been unable to routinely operate from the South Lawn despite joining the presidential fleet nearly two years ago.

According to the Post, Lockheed Martin will contribute $5 million toward the project, helping offset construction costs.

The company has spent years trying to address the heat issue but has yet to develop a permanent engineering solution.

The White House and the U.S. Marine Corps, which operates Marine One, did not immediately comment on the construction or provide a timeline for completion.

The Wall Street Journal last month reported that President Donald Trump was considering a permanent helipad after years of efforts to modify the aircraft or protect the South Lawn proved unsuccessful.

The VH-92A is designed to replace the aging VH-3D Sea King helicopters that have transported presidents since the Gerald Ford administration.

While Presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both flown aboard the new aircraft during trips away from Washington, neither has used it for departures from or arrivals at the White House South Lawn because of the risk of damaging the grass.

Retired Marine Corps Col. Ray L'Heureux, who previously commanded the presidential helicopter squadron, told the Post the installation appears to be driven by operational necessity.

"The new program is a costly one and not using the capability is bad optics all around," L'Heureux said, adding that presidential helicopter operations remain "paramount for seamless operations and security concerns."

The project marks the latest in a series of White House renovations under Trump's second administration.

The president has overseen several high-profile changes to the executive mansion and its grounds, including plans for a new ballroom and other upgrades that he has argued will modernize the White House while improving functionality.

Unlike those projects, however, the helipad is being described by officials familiar with the plan as a practical infrastructure improvement designed to accommodate the military's next-generation presidential aircraft rather than an aesthetic renovation.

Once completed, the helipad is expected to allow the VH-92A to fully assume the Marine One mission from the White House, enabling the Marine Corps to retire its decades-old fleet after years of delays.