Hollywood Burbank Airport is rebuilding its curb approach while the Elevate BUR replacement terminal finishes. From August 7 through August 28, 2026, intermittent construction at Hollywood Way and Thornton Avenue disrupts the main airport entrance that most drivers still treat as the default path.
According to the official Hollywood Burbank Airport traffic advisory, travelers should expect longer times to park, drop off, or pick up passengers and should use the Empire Avenue entrance or enter westbound from Thornton Avenue. That is a current road decision, not a flight cancelation story, and it sits on top of the larger October 2026 terminal switch already tracked in Deep Arrival’s earlier coverage of the BUR replacement terminal timeline.
- Where: Hollywood Burbank Airport main entrance at Hollywood Way and Thornton Avenue.
- When: Intermittent work from August 7 through August 28, 2026.
- Action: Prefer Empire Avenue or westbound Thornton for airport entry.
- Related work: Hollywood Way lane closures run Monday through Saturday into September.
- Why now: Construction supports the Elevate BUR terminal set for October 2026.
What the airport says is blocked right now
The airport’s current advisory is blunt about the intersection that most GPS apps still treat as the front door. Intermittent construction started Friday night, August 7, at Hollywood Way and Thornton Avenue, the main airport entrance.
Drivers are told to use the Empire Avenue airport entrance or to enter westbound off Thornton Avenue. Vehicles coming northbound on Hollywood Way can still turn left into the airport, so the corridor is not sealed shut. It is constrained enough that the airport warns about parking, drop-off, and pickup delays.
Construction at that intersection is scheduled to continue until August 28. If your trip falls inside that window, treat the main entrance as unreliable and plan the alternate approach before you leave home or the hotel.
That instruction is the whole traveler story in one line. Flights still operate from the existing terminals, but the road sequence that delivers you to the curb is the thing under construction.
Hollywood Way lane work continues past the entrance deadline
The advisory separates the main-entrance work from a longer Hollywood Way corridor project. Lane closures continue as part of intermittent construction on Hollywood Way between Tulare and Thornton Avenues.
That stretch runs Mondays through Saturdays with daytime and nighttime work. The airport says it is expected to conclude during September, which means drivers after August 28 can still meet slower Hollywood Way conditions even after the main entrance intersection work ends.
The sidewalk and bike lane on the west side of Hollywood Way remain closed between Winona and Thornton Avenues. Walkers, cyclists, and anyone connecting from nearby bus stops should not assume a continuous west-side path along that segment.
For a passenger who only rides in a car or rideshare, the practical effect is still simple. Build extra ground time and avoid last-minute curb bets when the approach is already narrowed.
Why the detour exists: Elevate BUR heads toward October
The airport ties the road work to the new passenger terminal scheduled to open in October 2026. The project site is Elevate BUR, the official replacement-terminal program for Hollywood Burbank Airport.
Independent local reporting has already described the same program as a roughly $1.2 billion, 14-gate, about 355,000-square-foot replacement terminal. An April 2026 NBC Los Angeles report documented earlier Hollywood Way construction phases, the same Empire Avenue and westbound Thornton alternatives, and the October 2026 opening target for the new terminal.
Deep Arrival’s earlier terminal package, including the passenger-facing Elevate BUR overview, covered the long-run switch from the legacy terminal to the new building. This post is the current road layer on top of that stream: a dated entrance disruption while the airport finishes the approach network for the new facility.
Elevate BUR materials also note that the future main entrance for the new terminal will sit at Winona and Hollywood Way. That future geometry is useful context for anyone booking fall travel after the switch, because the curb geometry and parking flow will change when the new building opens. It is not, however, today’s routing instruction for the operating airport. Through August 28, the live instruction is still Empire Avenue or westbound Thornton, and treating the future Winona entrance as a current shortcut will only create a wrong turn on a construction day.
How this changes a real trip day
Imagine a morning Southwest or Alaska departure from BUR after a Universal Studios Hollywood visit the night before. The park is a short drive from the airport, which is why many Los Angeles itineraries pair the two. That short hop is exactly where a constricted main entrance can erase the time buffer you thought you had.
If your hotel is on the Hollywood Way corridor, leave earlier than the app suggests and force the Empire Avenue or westbound Thornton approach in navigation before you start. Do not wait until you see cones at Thornton to invent a second route under pressure.
Rideshare drop-off is the other failure point. A five-minute curb delay becomes a twenty-minute delay when both the main entrance and Hollywood Way lanes are narrowed at once. If you are meeting arriving passengers, set a pickup pin that matches the open approach and confirm the driver’s map shows Empire Avenue rather than a blocked Hollywood Way right turn.
Parking decisions should stay conservative. The airport is not closing the airport; it is warning that it may take longer to reach the lot or garage you already planned to use. If you prebooked parking, keep the reservation, but arrive with enough slack that a slow Hollywood Way segment does not push you into a sprint at the ticket counter.
Travelers comparing Southern California airports should also keep BUR’s role in mind. It remains the compact alternative to Los Angeles International Airport for many San Fernando Valley and Hollywood itineraries, including guests heading to Universal Studios Hollywood. The terminal replacement is meant to preserve that convenience story, but the construction season temporarily taxes the road side of the promise.
What stays open and what is still unknown
Confirmed facts are limited and useful. The airport is open. Alternate entrances are named. The main-entrance intersection work has an August 28 schedule end. Hollywood Way lane closures continue Monday through Saturday and are expected to run into September. The terminal program remains aimed at October 2026.
Unresolved details still matter for precise planning. The advisory does not publish a minute-by-minute construction calendar for every shift, so same-day timing can vary. It also does not invent airline-specific check-in changes; bag drop and security still follow your carrier and TSA rules inside the operating terminal.
Anyone holding a late August or early September ticket should recheck the traffic advisory the day before travel. Construction programs of this size sometimes extend a corridor phase even after a named intersection window ends.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Fly BUR through August 28 | Enter via Empire Avenue or westbound Thornton and leave earlier than usual. |
| Use rideshare for curb pickup | Set the pin on an open approach and confirm the driver is not stuck on Hollywood Way. |
| Drive Hollywood Way after August 28 | Expect possible Monday to Saturday lane work into September and keep a time buffer. |
| Walk or bike near the entrance | Avoid the closed west-side sidewalk and bike lane between Winona and Thornton. |
| Plan around the new terminal | Treat October 2026 as the opening target and separate it from today’s entrance routing. |
- Route choice: Prefer Empire Avenue or westbound Thornton through August 28 instead of the main Hollywood Way and Thornton entrance.
- Time buffer: Add ground time for parking, drop-off, and pickup whenever Hollywood Way is narrowed.
- Day-before check: Open the airport traffic advisory again before a late August or September trip day.
Use the Empire Avenue or westbound Thornton approach through August 28, leave earlier for curb and parking delays, and recheck the advisory before any late August or September trip day.
Is Hollywood Burbank Airport closed for construction?
No. The airport remains open. The current advisory covers approach-road construction at the main entrance and on Hollywood Way, not a full airport closure.
How should I enter BUR through August 28, 2026?
Use the Empire Avenue airport entrance or enter westbound off Thornton Avenue. Northbound Hollywood Way traffic can still turn left into the airport.
When does the main entrance construction end?
The airport says construction at Hollywood Way and Thornton Avenue is scheduled to continue until August 28, 2026.
Will Hollywood Way stay clear after August 28?
Not necessarily. Lane closures between Tulare and Thornton Avenues continue Monday through Saturday and are expected to conclude during September.
What is Elevate BUR?
Elevate BUR is the official replacement passenger terminal program for Hollywood Burbank Airport, with the new terminal scheduled to open in October 2026.
