Mary Altaffer / AP

Officials cover their mouths from a dust cloud created by a tunnel boring machine cutting through a solid rock wall, Thursday, Sept. 22, 2011 in New York.

Mary Altaffer / AP

A construction worker, also known as a sandhog, climbs down from a hole created by a tunnel boring machine on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2011 in New York.

Today marked an important milestone for the creation of the Second Avenue subway line in New York City. A tunnel boring machine reached the Lexington-63rd Street station, breaking into the existing tunnel that will connect it to the Q line. This marks the end of the first phase of the project.

It is nice seeing the Second Avenue line make headway. As many other New Yorkers can attest, this project felt like a myth for a long time, but it seems that shorter commutes for those along York and East End Avenues are on the way.

More on the new line on NY1.com