New York's Metropolitan Transit Authority is building one of the largest and most expensive transportation projects in the country. Now, there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

Last fall, the MTA offered a glance of East Side Access, its gigantic project to connect Grand Central Station and the Long Island Rail Road. When construction completes in December 2022 (hopefully), some New Yorkers could shave 30 to 40 minutes off their commute on the country's busiest rail system.

The East Side Access project is both ambitious and long overdue. Construction began over 17 years ago, and the estimated cost ballooned from $4.3 billion to more than twice that figure.

Dr. Michael Horodniceanu, MTA's chief engineer and head of capital projects, has cited high labor costs and technical difficulties. Stephen Smith of Market Urbanism called the tunnel's excessively deep cavern "not necessary" and "a fatal design flaw" on Twitter.

Still, the photos captured 150 feet beneath Manhattan streets are stunning, and provide a glimmer of hope that progress is being made. Here's a first look at what the new hub may look like.