A close-up look at the spire being raised today (EPA)
The final pieces of the massive spire that will crown One World Trade Center were hoisted up the building today — exactly two years after a Navy SEAL team broke into Osama bin Laden’s Pakistan compound and took down the man who killed thousands of Americans and destroyed the Twin Towers on 9/11.
Once installed, the 408-foot spire will bring the building to an iconic 1,776 feet tall, making it the tallest building in the western hemisphere and third tallest in the world.
“Everybody put a lot of proud work into this building,” said iron worker Michael O’Reilly, 38. “This is our city. This is our building. We put it back up.”
Port Authority officials said the spire’s final piece will sit atop a platform until weather conditions allow workers to install it in a few weeks.
Construction workers and bystanders — many of them using cell phones to take photos and videos of the piece being raised — clapped and cheered as it was lifted to the top of the structure.
An American flag hung from the spire as its ascended into the sky.
“It feels amazing,” said iron worker Tom Hickey, 31, whose father worked on the original World Trade Center’s north tower.
“It feels great to be a part of history.”
The spire was originally intended to be installed on Monday, but was delayed — perhaps serendipitously — because of weather.
Bin Laden was killed by a team of Navy SEALs during a daring attack on his compound in Pakistan on May 2, 2011.