Subway station damaged during 9/11 attacks reopens

Subways stopped Tuesday at the Cortlandt Street’s downtown R station for the first time in more than six years.

The station, which was damaged in the 9/11 terrorist attack and closed for a year afterward, was again shuttered for construction in 2005. The uptown side reopened in 2009.

MTA President Jay Walder called the station’s reopening, just days before the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attack, an “important milestone,” before riding the first downtown R train to Whitehall Station. The station eventually will become part of the Fulton Street Transit Center, which will connect five stations and 11 subway lines when it opens in 2014.

Straphangers stepped off the downtown R train Tuesday, enthusiastically applauding Walder and other officials.

“Thank you, guys,” one passenger shouted as she leaned out from the train. “Good job!”

The MTA said the station will be temporarily closed Sunday morning during the 9/11 ceremonies, as per an NYPD request. Other stations also are likely to be shuttered for security reasons.

The Port Authority and MTA spent $20 million to open the southbound Cortlandt St. platform.

The Cortlandt Street No. 1 train station, which was also damaged during the attacks, is still closed. The transit agency said it does not know when that station will reopen.