SHANKSVILLE (KDKA) — The first phase of the permanent Flight 93 Memorial is nearly complete.

KDKA’s Trina Orlando got a first look at the progress.

This visitors’ shelter is the first thing you’ll see when you pull up to the permanent memorial.

It has the strength of concrete, but if you look closely, the texture of hemlock in honor of the trees that were destroyed when Flight 93 went down.

You’ll also see a wide open area known as Memorial Plaza. In the distance there’s a 40-panel marble wall that bears the name of each person who died on Flight 93.

“The progress is immense,” Keith Newlin with the National Parks Service said. “In terms of construction percentages, it’s well over 80 percent.”

You’ll also be able to get within hundreds of yards of the sacred ground where Flight 93 actually crashed – the closest anyone besides family has ever been.

A short distance away, ducks have made themselves at home in a recreated wetland. In the distance, a large pile of dirt marks the spot where a permanent visitors center will stand come 2014.

“It’s really important to have a location like this that people can come not only pay their respects, but also learn about what happened here and what 40 incredible people did,” Jeff Reinbold, Flight 93 Site Manager, said.

The permanent memorial will be dedicated on Sept 10th. A memorial service is being planned on Sept 11 for the 10th anniversary of the terror attacks.

RELATED LINKS
More Local News
More Somerset County News
National Parks Service: Flight 93 National Memorial