The conversion of the old High Line tracks into an elevated West Side park is $18 million closer to reality, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-Manhattan) announced yesterday.

"I love the idea of New Yorkers being able to move blocks and blocks through Manhattan without encountering a single car, bus or truck," Clinton said in announcing the congressional funding.

The 1.45 mile-long elevated rails that run from W. 34th St. to Gansevoort St. have not seen a train since 1980. The nonprofit Friends of the High Line has lobbied for six years to turn the structure into an open green space mixed with commercial and retail uses.

Nearly $68 million of the estimated $100 million budget is now in place, and ground-breaking on the project is expected this year.