New York ? New York’s subways went back to normal Monday afternoon after a high-alert weekend when an army of police officers prepared for a bombing that never happened.

“The period of the threat now seems to be passing,” Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Monday. “Over the immediate future, we’ll slowly be winding down the enhanced security.”

Police checked bags and prepared for the worst after an Iraqi informant said last week that terrorists were planning to sneak remote-controlled bombs on the subway Sunday in briefcases and strollers.

Officials in Washington downplayed the threat and questioned its veracity, but Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said they responded the right way – and will do it again for other troubling but unconfirmed threats.

Police cars with lights flashing were stationed outside subway stations during Monday’s morning rush, while cops watched passengers entering the turnstiles underground.

The true nature of the threat remained murky Monday. Three suspects arrested in Iraq denied any terrorists were plotting in New York and passed lie detector tests, sources said.