The Van Nuys Boulevard Light Rail Has Barely Started. The Sherman Way Block Is Still Open.

How much rail construction has a Van Nuys driver run into this fall? Probably less than the orange signs suggest. Under Metro's current utility notice, Van Nuys Boulevard between Oxnard Street and Valerio Street stays open in both directions. The work there means lane reductions and left-turn restrictions. The full closures fall on side streets, mostly at night. That notice covers June 22, 2026, through early spring 2027. Most of the project's construction comes after that window.

So this fall is still the early phase of a long build. The corner at Van Nuys Boulevard and Sherman Way, where Metro plans a station, is on the closure list but doesn't have a date yet. Until it does, the shops, salons, taquerias and auto bays on that block run on their usual hours.

What Is Actually Closed This Month

Metro's contractor on this stretch, San Fernando Transit Constructors, works weekdays from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. and again from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Saturdays are added when needed. The side-street closures are waterline installation work, and they happen at night. Metro updates its street closure list weekly. This table shows the list as of October 4, 2026.

Sylvan Street closed for the same work from July 15 through October 2. That window has ended. Vanowen and Beachy also follow a split pattern. Only one side of Van Nuys Boulevard closes at a time, never both. For daytime errands, Metro's notice says access to driveways, homes and businesses stays open unless people get advance notice. Flaggers direct traffic and pedestrians where access is limited. Bus stops, bike lanes and crosswalks can move or close for a while, and posted parking restrictions are enforced with citations or towing.

North of Sherman Way, the heaviest impact is at the Pacoima Wash, between Valerio and Covello streets. K-rail barriers there narrow Van Nuys Boulevard to one lane in each direction while crews replace a box culvert. Day and night work is scheduled through November 2026. Farther up, night utility work at Laurel Canyon Boulevard and San Fernando Road runs through early spring 2027. Expect lane restrictions and intermittent changes to parking, bus stops, bike lanes and crosswalks. Two smaller changes in Arleta:

• Through mid-October, eastbound Arleta Avenue can't cross Van Nuys Boulevard while night sewer work runs between Arleta and Lev avenues. Westbound Arleta stays open.
• During work hours at Vesper Avenue, northbound drivers on Van Nuys Boulevard can't turn left onto Vesper. Metro has set Terra Bella Street, between Nordhoff Street and San Fernando Road, as the substitute bike route.

Metro's January plan for directional closures between Sherman Way and Arminta Street ended June 22, 2026. Those detours no longer apply.

The Finish Line Has Moved Later, Not Sooner

All of this is preparation. In August, Metro awarded the main construction contract. The Daily News reported on August 24, 2026, that Skanska USA and its partner Stacy Witbeck won a $2.43 billion contract for the first phase. That phase is a street-level line running 6.7 miles from the G Line in Van Nuys to Van Nuys Boulevard and San Fernando Road in Pacoima. The contract covers both the utility relocation underway now and the tracks and stations to come. The first phase has 11 center-platform stations, 33 rail cars, and a 21-acre maintenance and storage yard near Keswick Street.

The completion estimate depends on which source you check, and each newer one has been later:

1. Metro's community meeting presentation from February 10 and 12, 2026, forecast service in late 2031.
2. Skanska project executive Andrew Grubb told the Daily News in August that the line is expected to be finished in December 2031.
3. Metro's project page now shows completion in "Early 2032."

Metro's own timeline calls 2026 through 2032 the major construction phase. That phase covers civil work, guideway, stations, the maintenance facility, power substations and systems, plus continued utility relocation. Early work started in late 2024. That puts the project about two years into a build that will run roughly five more. The Daily News puts the total cost at $3.6 billion. Outside funding includes $1.5 billion in federal money and $600 million from the state's Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program, with the rest from Measures M and R. Skanska's Grubb called traffic "probably the biggest obstacle to construction" because the boulevard runs through neighborhoods and past businesses and schools.

Sherman Way Is on the List, With No Date

Sherman Way is one of the planned stations, and Metro says some parking on Van Nuys Boulevard will be removed as part of the project. Once the line opens, Metro expects trains every 7 to 10 minutes at peak hours.

For now, the intersection is waiting. The current utility notice lists Sherman Way among the future side-street closures marked "Date to be determined." The same list includes Aetna, Calvert, Delano, Erwin, Victory, Hamlin, Hartland, Vose, Wyandotte and Valerio, and Sylvan comes up again for a second round. Metro says it will give advance notice before those closures start. Metro hasn't published a date for building the Sherman Way platform. This fall, the block is in about the same shape as before the contract was signed.

What the Block Has Right Now

Metro's Eat Shop Play campaign promotes businesses near the Sherman Way station site. The profiles are promotional, but they give a clear picture of what sits within a few doors of the future platform.

For food, San Fernando Coffee Co. has hand-painted murals of classic cars and a horchata cold brew from owner Steve. OK Chinese Restaurant is known for big portions and chow mein that has drawn regulars for generations. Don Shuco serves Guatemalan street food, and Guatemalteca Bakery has made chuchitos and other classics for more than a decade. El Taco Llama has loaded California fries, and Tacos Mexico serves late-night street tacos. Mariscos Isla Azul has fresh aguachile, El Gallo Giro has its long-running bakery, Next Level Pizza bakes stone-deck pies, and Bismillah Grocery & Meat Market carries halal options.

For your car, Valley Car Wash and Valley Lube & Oil have shared a lot on Van Nuys Boulevard since 1978, and every oil change includes a free brushless wash. Elite Auto Care has served Van Nuys since 2001, led by master mechanic Ivan. Barrios Auto Repair is family-run, and Van Nuys Smog is a family-owned STAR-certified station with registration services on site.

For appointments, Cinderella Beauty Salon has been on Sherman Way for more than 20 years, and Rosa is the stylist the profile names. ProFizix Physical Therapy & Wellness at Van Nuys and Sherman Way combines physical therapy with acupuncture and cupping under founder Dr. Nazanin Amini. Medicine Land Pharmacy, founded in 2013 by Dr. Armen Manoukian, fills prescriptions in English, Spanish, Armenian and Russian and offers delivery and immunizations. At Roxy's Pooch Parlour, Francisco and Marco handle dog grooming.

None of the 2025 or 2026 local coverage in our research names a business on this block that closed because of the construction. So the safest description is the plain one: these businesses are open, and the boulevard in front of them is open in both directions.

If You Own One of These Storefronts

Metro's Business Interruption Fund lists the East San Fernando Valley corridor as active and takes applications on a rolling basis. It's for eligible small businesses directly next to active rail construction. Standard grants go up to $60,000 per impact year for documented revenue loss. Streamlined micro-business awards go up to $1,500 per impact year. Metro has a free information and application workshop for corridor business owners on October 8, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., at 5990 N. Sepulveda Blvd. in Sherman Oaks. Metro hasn't published a list of grant recipients for this corridor, so the fund's track record on Van Nuys Boulevard is still unknown.

Construction schedules change, and Metro says so on every notice. Check the closure list weekly. Watch for the advance notice before Sherman Way's closure dates are set. And keep using the stretch between Vanowen and Sherman Way, which is open now.

At Caroline Daniel, we follow these East Valley projects block by block, because a long build like this one shapes daily life and property decisions along Van Nuys Boulevard for years. If you own a home or a building near the line and want to talk through what the construction timeline could mean for your plans, schedule a free consultation and we'll go over it with you.