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The long-planned Arthur Kill station on the Staten Island Railway line will open on Saturday morning. (Photo courtesy of the MTA)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- More than a year after it was originally slated for opening, the new Arthur Kill stop on the Staten Island Railway will be in service beginning Saturday.

The MTA announced Friday that the $27.9 million project was completed, the first new station since 1971.

The new Tottenville station will be located on the north side of Arthur Kill Road, between Lion Street and Barnard Avenue and will replace the existing Nassau and Atlantic stations, which will be demolished.

The new station will include a 150-car parking lot.

Ground was broken in 2013 for the project, which was slated for completion at the end of 2015.

But the opening was pushed back several times throughout 2016, until the MTA last said it would be completed in December.

The MTA cites the Nassau and Atlantic stations as older stations that were too small, with short platforms that didn't accommodate the railway's modern fleet.

The new station will connect to the S78 bus line, as eastbound and westbound stops on the bus route have been relocated to directly in front of the station and parking lot.

After Hurricane Sandy, the MTA made design changes to improve storm resiliency that added to the construction timeline, the agency said.

The MTA raised and improved the tracks and storm-proofed storage facilities and the electrical distribution and communications systems.

The agency also installed a heavy-duty drain system with underground detention tanks and perforated drain pipes for controlling water runoff and limiting soil displacement, as well as planted grasses, trees and shrubs to reduce storm runoff. It installed fencing, concrete curbs and gravel berms to control soil erosion.

"The new Arthur Kill station offers more transportation options to Staten Island residents by giving motorists the choice to leave the driving to us and take Staten Island Railway," MTA Chairman and CEO Thomas F. Prendergast said in a statement. "This station reinforces the governor's commitment to all parts of our transportation network. We know our customers here want more choices, and we are working hard to improve their options."

The Staten Island Railway will also be getting a new fleet of cars, although it's unclear when, as well as countdown clocks at all SIR stations, radio system enhancements and other replacements and repairs.