NEW YORK - December 30, 2010 - In preparation for tomorrow night's big New Year’s Eve show, the giant Times Square ball is taking a practice run today.
The nearly 12,000-pound ball will be lit and sent up the giant flagpole on top of One Times Square.
The light will be switched on, illuminating more than 2,500 Waterford crystals.
The confetti passed its air worthy test yesterday. A small shower of rainbow confetti was sent flying in Times Square.
Two thousand pounds of it will be released at midnight tomorrow - along with thousands of "wishes" from around the world submitted to the confetti wishing well.
Meanwhile, police are setting up the metal pens in Times Square that will hold more than one million New Year's revelers.
They will also be sealing manhole covers in the area and setting up security checkpoints.
Uniformed officers and plainclothes officers will be stationed in the crowds, along with mounted units.
Police Commissioner Kelly says state-of-the-art security equipment will also be on hand.
"We have several thousand radiation detectors that are deployed with our officers,” said the police commissioner. “We have large radiation detection equipment that we deploy on vehicles; we actually have it on all of our harbor launchers in the water so we are certainly very sensitive to that issue."
Those heading to Times Square are reminded that no backpacks or alcohol is allowed. Anyone who leaves one of the metal pens who will lose his or her spot.
There will also be plenty of street closures.
Starting at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow, Seventh Avenue from 41st to 59th Street will be closed to traffic, along with Broadway from 47th to 59th Streets, and 43rd to 47th Streets from Sixth to Eighth Avenues.
At 5 p.m., those closures will be expanded to include 42nd Street between Sixth and Eighth Avenues, and cross streets from 37th to 41st and 49th and 59th Streets, also between Sixth and Eighth Avenues.
