MTA chief Joe Lhota called Mayor Bloomberg yesterday to apologize for calling him an idiot.

Lhota made the remark during a lengthy interview about the rapid restoration of most subway service after Superstorm Sandy, a remarkable feat given the damage inflicted on the MTA system.

On Tuesday morning, Bloomberg had correctly predicted that the system would be back in a “good four of five days . . . if you had to guess.”But he later also announced that the L train might get back on track over the weekend.

In a conversation with Howard Glaser, the state’s director of operations, Lhota was quoted as saying that the mayor “like an idiot” had given a time frame that wasn’t based in fact. “He’s making it up,” Lhota reportedly said. After the story appeared, a City Hall source said Lhota called the mayor to apologize.