Video: World Trade Center becomes tallest NY building

>>> now to another milestone where it started, the new world trade building. the tower has taken a decade to rise from ground level to ground zero . today, it officially became the tallest building in new york. our report from harry smith .

>> with the placing of a single beam this afternoon, history was made. the construction has now surpassed the height of the top floor of the empire state building . a vide we long thought im impossible to fill has a presence now. we see tomorrow. the day when the horror and shock of 9/11 begins to be less present. some of the men who were in the smoldering pit in the days after the attack are at the top of one world trade center now. we went up to meet them. the trip is not for the faint of heart. ire worker kevin murphy was our guide. how high are we now?

>> standing on 89.

>> 89?

>> last floor of concrete. after that, ladders and towers.

>> the stairs hang off the building more than 1,000 feet over the street. the views will take your breath away. don't look down, right?

>> don't look down.

>> as we climb, we see iron workers toiling away, raising the structure beam by beam, and rirn on the beams for rem rnlss, people who died on 9/11. by no means is this just another tall building .

>> a special trip. police, firemen, most important ones are the ones that lost somebody, you know, or are coming from the armed forces . really special when they come up here.

>> a lot of emotion in this building.

>> yes, way more emotion than we're used to. and we're iron workers , we don't feel our emotions well. around you, you can't help it. you see the families come. you look down at the memorial. you see everybody looking at the memorial. this is very emotional for us.

>> the finished one world trade center will be 1,776 feet. that's right, 1776 , and we'll look up even higher. harry smith , nbc news, new york.

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