The final pieces of the spire have been hoisted to the top of the new World Trade Center building in New York City. An American flag was wrapped around the top piece as construction workers on May 2 lifted it to the summit of the 104-floor skyscraper. The new building is rising at the site where the twin World Trade Center towers were destroyed in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks claimed by the Al-Qaeda network. Once completed, the building is expected to be declared the tallest in the United States, at 541 meters. The tower’s tenants are expected to include a range of businesses and agencies. It is due to formally open in 2014. (9 PHOTOS)
Spire Lifted To Top Of New World Trade Center
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![Ground Zero workers take photos as the final piece of One World Trade Center's spire is lifted to the top of the building in New York.](https://gdb.rferl.org/b36b93c7-70d4-4ebd-8814-a1bb7c80f8fc_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Ground Zero workers take photos as the final piece of One World Trade Center's spire is lifted to the top of the building in New York.
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![The 408-foot spire is hoisted onto a temporary platform on the top of One World Trade Center in New York. The piece will be attached at a later date.](https://gdb.rferl.org/e2340c11-217f-4976-8700-49858cdff129_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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The 408-foot spire is hoisted onto a temporary platform on the top of One World Trade Center in New York. The piece will be attached at a later date.
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![As it once was: Firefighters and rescue workers battle smoldering fires as they search for survivors at the ruins of the World Trade Center in New York on September 13, 2001.](https://gdb.rferl.org/21b249ed-d7f3-4199-93ad-8cf12db53f33_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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As it once was: Firefighters and rescue workers battle smoldering fires as they search for survivors at the ruins of the World Trade Center in New York on September 13, 2001.