WTC Update: Spire Permanently Installed Atop One World Trade Center [Video]


One World Trade Center, also known as “WTC,” now has a 408-foot spire at its top in New York City after the large structural piece was fully installed on Friday. The symbolic building stands at the northwest corner of the site where the twin World Trade Center towers were destroyed during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

A day that will always be remembered, the attack in 2001 left the “city that never sleeps” in heartbreak. The path to recovery has been a long one as thousands of men and women were lost during the tragic event.

One World Trade Center will serve as a major business hub, but most importantly symbolize the struggles and efforts put forth by those affected by the Sept. 11th attacks. The new WTC has more of a modern design than those of the iconic twins and it is now topped off with a 758-ton spire.

The symbolic spire was transported to New York City from Canada in separate pieces by barge. The barge was only carrying the largest parts and the rest were shipped by truck.

According to the Associated Press, the spire will serve as a broadcast antenna and a beacon for aircraft in the area. The spire makes One World Trade Center the tallest building in the United States and the third-tallest in the world.

Without the spire, WTC would be shorter than Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois, which stands at 1,451 feet. Nevertheless, hundreds of New Yorker’s flooded the streets outside of the new World Trade Center to take in the moment as the spire was installed.

Juan Estevez, a project manager for Tishman Construction, told the Associated Press that “It’s a pretty awesome feeling” as he stood on a platform just below the spire during installation on Friday morning.

Another WTC is also in the works, as 4 World Trade Center is being built in the southeast corner of the site and will stand 72-stories tall. One World Trade Center, on the other hand, is nearly complete and its opening will surely be an emotional day for all Americans after the tragic attack that swept the nation in 2001.

[Image via Creative Commons]

Share this article: WTC Update: Spire Permanently Installed Atop One World Trade Center [Video]
More from Inquisitr