The newly renovated eastbound side of the PATH station in Harrison is set to open Saturday to the public.

It’s a key milestone in a $256 million redevelopment that began nearly 10 years ago. The station originally opened in the 1930s.

The station has been the catalyst for a burst of retail and residential development in Harrison, a town of about 18,000 residents that has grown by about 30 percent since the 2010 census.

“A brand-new facility people can walk in and out of – 2.6 million people, up 30% in the last six years, are visiting this very part,” says Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole.

Population growth around stations in Harrison and Jersey City has increased strain on the PATH system, which connects Newark, Hoboken and Jersey City with New York.

The new facility is now glass-enclosed. There is a weather-protected station entrance, modern elevators, widened stairs and escalator access to the platforms. The platforms have also been extended to accommodate longer, 10-car trains.

Previously crowds were quite large at the station, due to its proximity to the Red Bull Arena.

“They have those large games in our postage stamp of a station and because of the size, you have people lining up just to quickly get into the station,” says PATH director Clarelle DeGraffe. “Now they can actually either wait in the plaza for the next train or they can actually wait in the station without having to form lines.

A new feature at the station is countdown clocks that tell passengers when the next trains are arriving.

The eastbound side of the station will officially open to the public on Saturday at 9 a.m.