New York ( CNN ) -- As construction workers cheered , the final two pieces of a 408-foot spire were hoisted high above their heads Thursday to the top of One World Trade Center . Draped with the American flag , the silver spire settled on a temporary platform . Final installation of the pieces will happen later . `` ( It 's a ) beacon that 'll be seen for miles around and give a tremendous indication to people around the entire region , and the world , that we 're back and we 're better than ever , '' said Steven Plate , director of construction , CNN affiliate WABC reported . Once the building is complete , it will stand at a height of 1,776 feet -- an allusion to the year of the birth of the nation . Already the tallest in New York City , One World Trade Center will be the highest building in the Western Hemisphere . Delivery of the final two sections was delayed by wind and rain , said Anthony Hayes , assistant director of media for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey . The crowning pieces were supposed to have been delivered last Monday morning . Thursday is the second anniversary of the death of Osama bin Laden , the mastermind behind the September 11 , 2001 , attacks that toppled the original World Trade Center towers . The spire will contain 18 separate sections of steel and three communication rings . The first -- and heaviest -- steel section was installed in January , weighing more than 67 tons , according to a statement from the Port Authority . It will serve as an antenna for a television broadcast facility housed in the building . `` This is like the icing on the cake for New York , '' construction worker Dennis Muia said , WABC reported . No sign of human remains where latest 9/11 part found . Erinn Cawthon reported from New York ; Dana Ford reported and wrote from Atlanta . CNN 's Morgan Winsor also contributed to this report .
Construction workers cheer as the pieces are hoisted above their heads . The first stage of construction is expected to be completed by late 2018 and will include a new terminal building, an expanded passenger terminal, additional parking for more than 1,000 cars, and a second runway. One World Trade Center will top out at 1,776 feet .