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In an update on the reconstruction efforts of Notre Dame Cathedral, officials in Paris said they expect the church to reopen in December 2024.
However, they said that reconstruction of the cathedral's iconic spire will begin soon and should be restored by the end of the year.
"The return of the spire in Paris' sky will, in my opinion, be the symbol that we are winning the battle of Notre Dame," General Jean-Louis Georgelin told the Associated Press.
Georgelin is in charge of the reconstruction efforts, which began last year. It took over two years for crews to make the site stable enough to start rebuilding the cathedral after it was severely damaged by a fire on April 15, 2019.
"My job is to be ready to open this cathedral in 2024. And we will do it," Georgelin said. "We are fighting every day for that, and we are on a good path."
While the church will not be open when Paris hosts the Summer Olympics in 2024, visitors will be able to visit an exhibition near the construction site that will detail the history of the cathedral and provide updates about the massive reconstruction project. It will also include a virtual reality show to give visitors a first-hand glimpse of the cathedral throughout history.