West Street pedestrian bridge reopens.

A key pedestrian bridge over West Street linking Battery Park City with points, east, north and south has reopened.

A new flight of stairs and an elevator connect the eastern end of the Liberty Street Bridge, which was damaged on Sept. 11, with a covered pedestrian walkway running along the south side of Liberty Street between West Street and Church Street. Liberty Street between Church and Broadway is also open to foot traffic.

On its western end the Liberty Street Bridge, formerly known as South Bridge, opens directly into One World Financial Center, providing access to the entire Battery Park City and World Financial Center communities. The Liberty Street Bridge its open seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

Another pedestrian bridge over West Street -- which Governor Pataki and Mayor Bloomberg reopened to automobile, bus and truck traffic on March 29 -- will soon open at Rector Street, offering a shorter walk between Battery Park City and the BMT and east side IRT stations at Rector Street and Wall Street respectively.

The reopening of the Liberty Street Bridge is another step forward in Battery Park City's rapid and continuing recovery from the events of Sept. 11. A groundbreaking ceremony on April 25 will mark the beginning of construction on new state-of-the-art ball fields along West Street between Murray and Warren Streets in Battery Park City. The Embassy Suites Hotel and UA Cineplex on North End Avenue will reopen on May 1 and May 8 respectively. In mid-may, work will begin on the new Tear Drop Park, which will bring an exciting area for active play and relaxation to Battery Park City's North Neighborhood. The new Irish Hunger Memorial at Vesey Street and North End Avenue is scheduled to open in July.