NEW YORK.- Governor George E. Pataki today joined Virginia Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling and first responders to tour the Banker Steel facilities in Lynchburg, Virginia where massive steel columns are being fabricated for the historic rebuilding underway at the World Trade Center site. The Governor was also joined by Banker Steel President Don Banker and Port Authority Executive Director Ken Ringler as well as state and local police and firefighters, and steel mill employees. The columns will be used for the perimeter of the 1,776 foot tall Freedom Tower and will begin traveling to New York City in the upcoming days.

Governor George E. Pataki said, “These colossal steel beams that will soon leave Lynchburg, Virginia and journey to the World Trade Center site to form the foundation of a glorious soaring tower will reclaim our skyline with a soaring symbol to New York’s resilience--the Freedom Tower. As the steel rises to the sky, we must again rededicate ourselves to the great legacy of 1776, our country’s freedom--a legacy that our enemies seek daily to destroy, here and around the world.”

Virginia Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling said, “I am honored to be here today with Governor Pataki, who showed great courage and resolve in leading the State of New York in the days following the terrorist attacks of September 11th. On that day New York and Virginia shared a common tragedy. In light of that, it is fitting that the steel columns that will make up the Freedom Tower were fabricated by a Virginia Company. Both of our states suffered a great loss on September 11th, but we will share a common victory when the Freedom Tower is completed.”

Port Authority Executive Director Kenneth J. Ringler said, “The fabrication of this steel is another exciting milestone in our efforts to expedite the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site. In recent months, we have poured hundreds of cubic yards of concrete for the Freedom Tower and World Trade Center Transportation Hub, we have started digging the foundations for the Memorial and we are building a new bathtub that will support the construction planned for the east side of the site. When this steel is erected on the site later this month, it will be a clear sign to those who live, work or visit the site that we are making major progress in the rebuilding effort.”

Don Banker President of Banker Steel Company said, “All of us at Banker Steel as well as Lynchburg are proud and excited to be a part this symbolic and historic process. Even though we are miles apart, we stand shoulder to shoulder in spirit with the people of New York. We hope that the process of building the new Freedom Tower will inspire people to come together once again as a shining example to the world of what American resilience and determination can accomplish.”

Approximately 45,000 tons of steel will be used to build the Freedom Tower. The columns weigh up to 2,440 pounds per foot. The steel columns were produced in Differdange, Luxembourg, and shipped to Virginia where they are being fabricated into “built-up” columns by welding plates to their sides. The total length of the steel’s journey originating in Luxembourg and ending in New York City is approximately 4,700 miles.

The 1,776-foot-tall Freedom Tower is under construction at the World Trade Center site. It will include 2.6 million square feet of office space, tenant amenity spaces, an observation deck, restaurants, and broadcast and antennae facilities. Below-grade retail and access to the PATH rapid-transit system and the World Financial Center will also be provided.

In July of this year approximately 805 tons of steel were produced in Differdange, Luxembourg to create the first 27 “extra-large” steel columns for the Freedom Tower. Arcelor, one of the world’s largest steel companies, produced the massive steel columns. The columns weigh 730 pounds per foot and range in length from 30 to 56 feet for shipping. In August, the steel columns were shipped by vessel from Antwerp, Belgium. Four different ships made the trans-Atlantic voyage to deliver the columns to two port cities, Portsmouth, Virginia and Camden, New Jersey where they were then transported to the fabricator, Banker Steel Company, L.L.C. of Lynchburg, Virginia.