$2.43B East San Fernando Valley Light Rail: Skanska-Stacy Witbeck Advances Los Angeles Project

A Skanska and Stacy Witbeck joint venture has moved the $2.43 billion East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project into major construction in Los Angeles. Metro broke ground on October 19, 2026, on the 6.7-mile street-level line along Van Nuys Boulevard, with 11 stations and a 26-acre maintenance facility, and completion targeted for December 2031.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority estimates the construction cost of the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project at $3.998 billion, and projects that construction and operations will generate more than 18,000 direct and indirect jobs. Funding for the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project combines federal, state and local sources, including the voter-approved Measure M sales tax, an $893 million federal grant and, according to local reporting, $600 million from California’s Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program.

Funding certainty of that kind is not shared by every transit expansion in the United States. In Colorado, the Regional Transportation District told regional planners in its May 2026 FasTracks status report that money for the unfinished FasTracks corridors in Denver has still not been identified, even after the agency sent its completion report to the state legislature on November 25, 2025. Meanwhile, its board approved $5.58 million on April 28, 2026, for conceptual design of a joint service between Denver Union Station and Fort Collins, which would run three daily round trips serving eight stations.

$2.43B East San Fernando Valley Light Rail: Skanska-Stacy Witbeck Advances Los Angeles Project

East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Scope Covers 11 Stations and a 26-Acre Facility

The East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project will run at street level in the center of Van Nuys Boulevard, from the Metro G Line in Van Nuys to San Fernando Road in Pacoima. As a result, the 6.7-mile corridor will serve Van Nuys, Panorama City, Arleta and Pacoima.

The East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project includes 11 stations spaced roughly three-quarters of a mile apart. They are Van Nuys Metro G Line, Victory, Vanowen, Sherman Way, Van Nuys Metrolink, Roscoe, Nordhoff, Woodman, Arleta, Laurel Canyon and San Fernando.

In addition, the stations will carry shade structures, and the line will offer transfers to Metrolink, Amtrak and the G Line bus rapid transit service. Trains are expected to run every seven to 10 minutes during peak periods.

The contract also covers a 26-acre rail and maintenance facility, an area comparable to about 20 football fields, together with utility relocations and improvements. Furthermore, Metro lists ADA-compliant sidewalks, safer pedestrian crossings and improved roadway design among the streetscape upgrades.

Construction of the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project began in late 2024, when crews started moving water lines, communications cable and electrical conduits out from beneath the median. Moreover, a 2.5-mile second phase to the Sylmar/San Fernando Metrolink Station is still under study.

Skanska and Stacy Witbeck Joint Venture Delivers the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail

The two firms are delivering the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project through San Fernando Transit Constructors, a joint venture formed for the job by Skanska USA Civil and Stacy Witbeck. Skanska said its share of the $1.9 billion construction contract signed in August is $957 million. Including preconstruction and early works, the joint venture total reaches $2.43 billion.

Meanwhile, the federal grant behind the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project is the first Full Funding Grant Agreement executed under the Federal Transit Administration’s Expedited Project Delivery Pilot Program. Metro said the $893 million award finalizes the overall funding plan for the line.

Andrew Grubb, project executive at Skanska USA Civil West, said completion is expected in December 2031. Thus the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project has a delivery window of just over five years from the October 2026 groundbreaking.

James Bailey, executive vice president of Skanska USA Civil West Coast operations, described the line as “an investment in mobility for the region.” According to Skanska, the two companies have worked together on five earlier infrastructure and rail projects in Southern California, including the Sixth Street Viaduct Replacement Project in downtown Los Angeles.

On the design side, AECOM serves as engineer of record, while Arcadis and Mott MacDonald act as construction managers for Metro, based on project information published by Stacy Witbeck.

East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Targets a Transit-Dependent Corridor

Roughly 19 percent of households along the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail corridor have no personal vehicle, compared with 8 percent across Los Angeles County, according to Metro’s groundbreaking announcement. As a result, the line is intended to link residents with about 150,000 employment opportunities across the region.

The East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project will be the first light rail line in the San Fernando Valley since the Pacific Electric Red Car stopped running in 1952. Reporting from the groundbreaking cites projected ridership of about 50,000 daily riders.

Metro said a Project Labor Agreement and a Construction Careers Policy are intended to steer construction jobs toward local residents. In addition, the joint venture runs the San Fernando Transit Constructors Careers Academy, which offers professional development courses for people living near the route.

To limit disruption along Van Nuys Boulevard, Metro is offering a Business Interruption Fund for small shops, a Business Solution Center and an Eat, Shop, Play marketing program. Also, Imelda Padilla, a Metro board member and Los Angeles city councilmember, called the groundbreaking a historic milestone for communities that have waited generations for this level of investment.

Project Overview

Project Name: East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project
Owner and Client: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro)
Location: Van Nuys Boulevard, from Van Nuys to Pacoima, Los Angeles, California
Project Type: At-grade electric light rail transit
Contract Value: $2.43 billion (Skanska-Stacy Witbeck joint venture, including preconstruction and early works)
Estimated Construction Cost: $3.998 billion (Metro)
Line Length: 6.7 miles
Stations: 11
Rail and Maintenance Facility: 26 acres (Skanska)
Federal Funding: $893 million Full Funding Grant Agreement
State Funding: $600 million, Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (reported)
Construction Start: Late 2024 for utility relocation; major construction ceremony held October 19, 2026
Target Completion: December 2031 (Skanska USA Civil West)
Projected Jobs: More than 18,000 direct and indirect (Metro)
Projected Ridership: About 50,000 daily riders (reported)