The Metropolitan Transportation Authority said Monday that the R train tunnel connecting Brooklyn and Manhattan that's been out since Hurricane Sandy could be back to full service on Friday. NY1's Natasha Ghoneim has the story.

It's been a tough few weeks for regular riders of the R train.

Some people haven't been able to put on their earphones and flip into auto-pilot because of confusing detours and unhelpful directions.

"Right now, I'm at Canal, and the guy told me to go back up to go back down. This has happened to me three times already," one rider said. "A lot of confusion."

It's been a headache for R train riders traveling between Brooklyn and Manhattan ever since Hurricane Sandy flooded out the tunnel linking the boroughs.

While crews repair signal systems and seawater logged electrical components, the R has been running in two disconnected sections -- one in Brooklyn, the other in Queens and Manhattan.

That's meant additional walking and transfer times for riders.

"Now I have to transfer to the 4, and go up the stairs and down the stairs and around," one woman said. "Everything is just a hot mess."

Come Friday, the MTA says it hopes to reopen the Brooklyn-Manhattan tunnel so regular R train users can throw out the detours and sink back into their familiar routine.

"I feel relieved, better," a rider said. "That way I can get to work, faster, on time."

"It'll make a big difference. It'll save me about ten minutes," a woman said. "We need that because we straphangers suffer a lot."

The MTA has rushed to alleviate as much of rider suffering as possible. Other than the R, the A and the 1 lines are the only ones still not fully operational.

"I hope things get back to normal as soon as possible," a man said. "It's good for everyone and it's good for the city."

Though progress is incremental, things are moving toward normal again.