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MTA Metro-North Railroad has begun repairing the ceiling tiles of the “whispering gallery” in the lower level of New York City’s Grand Central Terminal.

Located outside the Oyster Bar, the whispering gallery got its name from the area’s acoustical qualities that result in visitors being able to stand in diagonal corners and whisper to one another as the sound carries across the arc of the ceiling.

The $450,000 project will not harm the acoustical experience, Metro-North officials said in a prepared statement. When the work is completed, the gallery will appear cleaner and brighter, they said.

“After a century in place, the mortar has weakened and some tiles are loose,” said George Monasterio, chief architect for Metro-North, which operates and maintains Grand Central Terminal.

Graciano Corp. of Pittsburgh will complete the repairs, including the replacement of about 200 tiles in the 2,000-square-foot gallery. The project is slated for completion in November.