Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral on Track to Reopen by 2024

One of Europe’s most iconic tourist attractions is poised to reopen by the end of 2024.

According to the Associated Press, the reconstruction of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is moving along nearly four years after a devastating fire that destroyed the structure’s famous spire and most of its roof.

Reconstruction began last year after workers were finally able to stabilize the cathedral in the wake of the April 2019 fire. Officials intend to restore the Gothic-style monument back to the way it was, recreating the 315-foot-high spire that collapsed.

“The return of the spire in Paris’ sky will in my opinion be the symbol that we are winning the battle of Notre Dame,” Gen. Jean-Louis Georgelin, who is leading the rebuild project, told the AP. “My job is to be ready to open this cathedral in 2024. And we will do it. We are fighting every day for that and we are on a good path.”

“The biggest challenge is to comply precisely every day to the planning we have done,” Georgelin added. “We have a lot of different works to achieve: the framework, the painting, the stones, the vault, the organ, the stained glass and so on.”

While the cathedral is slated to welcome back tourists by the end of next year, renovation work will continue into 2025.

In the meantime, an exhibition called “Notre-Dame de Paris: at the heart of the construction site” will open to visitors on Tuesday in an underground facility in front of the cathedral. The free event will detail ongoing operations and feature some remains from the fire and works of art from the cathedral, according to the AP.