DRPA planning 9/11 memorial

As the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the U.S. nears, the Delaware River Port Authority board is discussing plans to build a memorial at Sixth and Race streets in Philadelphia.

Unlike many 9/11 monuments, this one will contain pieces from all three sites: New York City, Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C.

The opportunity for assembling the memorial to those who died that day occurred when the port authority’s acting Director of Homeland Security Robert Finnegan reached out to John Hanson, authority CEO.

Finnegan said he was inspired to create a memorial when he saw pieces of the 9/11 D.C. and New York sites at the Camden County Communication Center. He sought a way to to find more artifacts in order to constitute a memorial.

Through researching the stories, he found someone who had access to a network of 9/11 remnants. After subsequent conversations, they were able to obtain materials from all three sites.

Costs for the memorial, to be placed at the eastbound approach to the Ben Franklin Bridge into New Jersey, will be covered by a gift from Finnegan and a donation of labor and materials by the EP Henry Corpration.