The first piece of the spire hoisted atop One World...

The first piece of the spire hoisted atop One World Trade Center. (Getty Images) Credit: The first piece of the spire hoisted atop One World Trade Center. (Getty Images)

The first section of One World Trade Center's massive 408-foot spire was hoisted atop the skyscraper Wednesday.

The 16-foot tall, 70-ton piece arrived in the city Tuesday from New Jersey's Port Newark, and is the first of 18 sections that will comprise the spire. It is expected to be completed by spring and weigh nearly 800 tons.

The building is expected to open in 2014 and will stretch 1,776 feet into the sky, making it the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.

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