World Trade Center Could Soon Become the Tallest Building in the Hemisphere

Construction workers have begun to install the final spire part of the World Trade Center, making it the tallest building in the western hemisphere. The 408-foot spire is being installed using two large cranes located a top of the structure, guiding the 67 ton massive steel section into a six foot concrete base on the World Trade Center roof. Installation of all 18 pieces of the spire and three communication rings will take approximately two to three months.

The $3.8 billion World Trade Center tower should be completed within a year from now, and will pass Willis Tower height and the Trump International Hotel and Tower, both of them in Chicago. When completed, the World Trade Center could become the third tallest building in the world just short of Burj Khalifa in Dubai, and the Mecca Royal Hotel Clock Tower in Saudi Arabia.

_{Photo © Port Authority of NY & NJ}