Ground broken on Grand Central entryway

NEW YORK (AP) — The Metropolitan Transit Authority's $10 billion East Side Access project will soon become visible to commuters in New York City.

Officials on Tuesday broke ground on the first stage of the project. It calls for the closing of a nearly 2,000-square-foot public area in Grand Central Terminal. The work in the dining course is expected to last up to 18 months.

Most of the Manhattan work on the project has taken place underneath Metro-North's operation and the terminal.

When completed, East Side Access is expected to bring 160,000 passengers daily from Long Island through a Queens station linked to the 120-foot tunnel. The target completion date is 2022.