One World Trade Center today officially became the tallest building in the western hemisphere, reaching a historic 1776 feet, in honor of the year America signed the Declaration of Independence.
Welders this morning attached a 408-foot spire that will serve as a broadcast antenna, the last of 18 pieces added today.
The spire will provide transmission of television and radio broadcast channels that were destroyed on Sept. 11, 2001, along with the World Trade Center towers.
The building, which overlooks the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, is scheduled to open for business in 2014.
Previously, the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere was the Willis Tower in Chicago. The world’s tallest building, at 2,700 feet, is in Dubai.
