The numerals 2-0-2-2 atop One Times Square are ready to be lit on December 31st at midnight as the New Year's Eve Ball descends in the final few seconds of 2021. The 7 foot numerals will light up and be seen by over a billion viewers around the world.
It's no easy task changing the numerals on the sign each year. The new "2" weighs 350 pounds and contains 145 bulbs. All four numerals together contain 599 energy efficient bulbs. The new numeral arrives in the building at the 22nd floor by elevator. After that it is winched and carried up a further 3 flights to the main deck. The final part of the journey is about 80 feet up the flagpole, to where it is swung into placed and secured.