Eighteen months ago, the intersection of San Fernando Road and Arvilla Avenue in Sun Valley was a sadly neglected crossroad, where a grade-level railroad track, a major artery for trucks and auto traffic, an interrupted bike lane, and a crooked side street met in a confusing and dangerous tangle.
Phase 3 of construction of the San Fernando Bike Path was slated to run through the intersection, a development that necessitated closing San Fernando Road to through traffic at Arvilla, but created an opportunity for many other long-delayed improvements.
Covid-related supply chain disruptions and the wettest rainy season in 18 years delayed construction, while trucks diverted from their usual course rumbled through residential side streets. But today the finished intersection was reopened, with new paving and striping, upgraded sidewalks, curb cuts, handrails, signal lights, and modernized safety gates.
The completed intersection is one of the last remaining pieces of the third and final phase of construction on the San Fernando Bike Path. “Connecting the San Fernando Valley with continuous protected routes for cyclists has been a goal of mine since I was elected to the Council,” said Council President Krekorian. “This path will provide the cyclists of the Valley with nine miles of outdoor recreation and exercise, as well as a healthy and climate-friendly transportation option for those who choose to take advantage of it.