Landmark Battles Back After Being Down and Briefly Out
With only a pause between the death of its backup batteries at 10:21 p.m. on Sept. 11 and the restoration of emergency power on the night of Sept. 16, the center has continuously processed millions of calls and data transmissions daily through banks of delicate equipment that have been smothered by corrosive dust, exposed to the elements and even, in some cases, suspended in space by cables when floors fell crashing away.
A multipronged reconstruction program is in progress. Environmental cleanup is complete and a gut renovation is under way. Restoration of the facade, a job begun well before Sept. 11, has resumed. A new mechanical and electrical system is being installed. Switching and routing equipment, most of which still functions but whose reliability was seriously compromised, are also being replaced.