Rebuilding at Ground Zero, Part 2

This is where the Freedom Tower will take shape and rise above the rest of the City's skyline. The foundation work is well underway and concrete is being poured in this area. The crane to the left of the frame will help raise the tower to its dizzying heights.

 

This photo shows the bathtub retaining wall that was badly damaged by the collapsing towers. When the bathtub was originally built, the bulk of the Twin Towers and complex were designed to support the bathtub wall to keep the water on the other side out. When the Towers were destroyed on 9/11 by the Islamic terrorists, the bathtub wall became compromised because the structural integrity was no longer there. After the rescue and recovery efforts ended and the site was cleared of debris, engineers reinforced the bathtub wall, which is what you see today. The protrusions coming out of the bathtub are reinforcing tie-back rods, which add structural integrity.
 

The next two photos are different views of the Freedom Tower cranes that hover over the site awaiting steel to carry the tower to its ultimate height of 1,776 feet. The roadway in the foreground is West Street, which was badly damaged by the collapsing towers. It is the primary West Side highway access route in Manhattan, and reopening that road was a priority in restoring services and access to Battery Park City and the World Financial Center. This view is looking East from the World Financial Center across Ground Zero. You can begin to see structural steel rising in the foreground.

 

This photo is a closeup of the cranes and the Freedom Tower section of Ground Zero. In the background, you can see both the temporary PATH terminal and work underway on the permanent transit hub.