Topping the new World Trade Center

NEW YORK (AP) -- The giant spire that will top 1 World Trade Center is making its way to Manhattan.

 

The spire is divided into 18 sections that weigh between 5 tons and more than 67 tons. Eight of the sections are being transported by barge 1,500 nautical miles south from Canada on the Atlantic Salvor. It left Quebec on Nov. 16 and is expected next week at Port Newark in New Jersey.

 

The remaining sections are expected to arrive via truck in mid-December.

 

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which owns the World Trade Center site, says progress of the barge and the spire can be tracked online .

 

Once the 408-foot-tall spire is installed, the tower will stand 1,776 feet tall, making it the tallest in the Western hemisphere. The Port Authority says it will take about three months to install.