New York and Fort Lauderdale, linked by many people who call both places home, now share a piece of solemn history.

A Port Authority rail segment taken from the tracks of the World Trade Center wreckage is being made into a monument that’s expected to be unveiled Sept. 11 on downtown Fort Lauderdale’s Riverwalk.

Construction on the over $200,000 project began Aug. 10, said Patrick Harris, Riverwalk’s chief operating officer.

“It will provide that sense of place to transplanted New Yorkers and be that teachable moment to the generations that come through the years,” Harris said, noting that recent 2020 high school graduates weren’t even born when the twin towers were attacked in 2001.

The monument will sit near South Andrews Avenue and the railroad tracks where a gazebo that was deemed unsafe once stood. Black granite structural supports will hold the 15-foot rail segment upright, facing the clouds.

A small flower bed at the base of the structure will signify the continuity of life while an internal lighting mechanism will allow the structure to glow at night.

“Light emerging from darkness” is the tone the monument’s design aims to create. A plaque will explain the rail’s backstory.

Fort Lauderdale was able get the rail by sheer chance. Driving in his car, Harris heard a National Public Radio report about how the last terminal in New York that held remaining wreckage from 911 was being closed. He called to see if the City of Fort Lauderdale could attain an artifact to memorialize the victims, their families and first responders.

Riverwalk was selected among other candidates to receive the rail, which came from a lower Manhattan subway station that was buried beneath the fallen towers.

Riverwalk then began a fundraising campaign to pay for the project. Florida Panthers owner and native New Yorker Vinny Viola “wrote a significant check” followed by others, some of whom were directly affected by 911.

“We’ve had people call us with tears in their eyes,” Harris said. “Nobody has really reached out to tell us [their story] because that’s a sore subject.”

Contributors giving from $5,000 to $15,000 were honored with engraved benches and plaques that will surround the memorial.

About $15,000 is still needed to cover final costs and upkeep. Riverwalk hopes to shore up those funds by selling engraved bricks near the monument for $250 per brick.

For more information on how to support the project, go to www.goriverwalk.com/9-11-monument.