[IMAGE]N-Y-MTA-Cortlandt-station-opening-MTAPhotos-via-Flickr--2.jpg[/IMAGE]New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) reopened the downtown side of the Cortlandt Street R subway station, which was damaged by the collapse of the Twin Towers on 9/11. The opening coincides with the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attack.

The northbound side of the Cortlandt Street station reopened in November 2009. Now, customers will be able to access the southbound platform through two underground passageways: through the newly constructed Cortlandt Street underpass (where the station's wall murals have been reinstalled) or the entrance from One Liberty Plaza.

The collapse of the Twin Towers on 9/11 caused significant damage to the Cortlandt Street R station as well as the Cortlandt Street station on the 1 line, which remains out of service. The R Line station remained closed for one year while damage from the collapse was repaired. The station then operated from Sept. 15, 2002 until August 20, 2005, when it was closed again for the excavation and construction of the Dey Street Passageway. This pedestrian concourse will serve as a vital link between the Cortlandt Street station and the Fulton Street Transit Center currently under construction by MTA Capital Construction.
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The $20 million project to reopen the southbound Cortlandt Street platform was funded by the Port Authority and the MTA. The station’s artwork, "Trade, Treasure and Travel," by artist Margie Hughto and commissioned in 1997, was undamaged in the 9/11 attacks and remained in storage until the station rehabilitation was complete. The murals are comprised of twelve thematically related hand-made bas-relief ceramic tile panels relating to finance and decorated with real and mythical creatures connected to the sea trade.   

The station is served by the R during the daytime hours and the N during late nights. Cortlandt Street originally opened on Jan. 5, 1918 as part of the BMT Broadway Line.

“We made a commitment to have this platform open before the tenth anniversary of 9/11 and today we are here to fulfill that commitment,” said Walder. “I’m so proud that the MTA is able to participate in another vital milestone in the revitalization of Lower Manhattan. Our employees were first responders on that tragic day; we worked tirelessly to bring the subway back just months after the attack and every day since we have been rebuilding and helping the city come back stronger than ever.”

MTA Capital Construction is responsible for rebuilding the station. Its president, Michael Horodniceanu, stated, “This is a significant customer benefit that we’ve been able to re-open ahead of schedule as we continue to make progress building the Fulton Street Transit Center.”