MALVERN, Pa. (CBS) – Some business owners in Malvern, Chester County are counting the days until a nearly two-year construction project at SEPTA’s train station in the middle of town comes to an end early next month.

There appears to be light at the end of the tunnel for a number of store owners, who have seen a decrease in business over the last year, because customers have had a hard time getting to the King Street area. They’re hoping the nearly $10-million project, which includes a new pedestrian tunnel and more parking, will mean more people using the regional rail line.

Kerry Greim of Knots and Weaves says it’s been a long time coming, “They’ll be able to find parking spaces, they can take the train in and have the walking paths up and down King Street and make it the town where we can walk and shop and visit restaurants much more easily than we have in the past.”

Frank Englund of Englund’s Apparel for Men in the Malvern Shopping Center says the added parking spaces will alleviate the problem of commuters using the shopping center parking lot to park all day. He says that will mean more room to park for customers at the center.

“Everything’s a go, you know, with the shopping center. Things are good and we’re glad that the people are parking their cars back here now. They come around the back of the center and come up to the front when they get back from their jobs and it’s worked out real well.”

Reported by Suburban Bureau Chief Brad Segall, KYW Newsradio 1060