NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Navy contractors have begun construction of the new USS Somerset, a ship named after the site of crash of United Flight 93. The ship is the third of three navy vessels to honor Sept. 11th victims. It includes a special piece taken from the site of the crash. VIDEO: Scott MacFarlane Reports - USS Somerset

Crews melted 16 tons of steel from an old mining crane, which sat on the Shanksville, Pa., land. They're using the steel to construct the "stem bar" of the new ship. EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Watch the Pouring of the "Flight 93" Metal

The USS Somerset will be officially commissioned in 2012. It'll span 684 feet in length and hold hundreds of sailors. Northrop Grumman, a navy shipbuilding contractor, will complete the construction in New Orleans.

Wayne Davis, Northrop Grumman's project manager, said the ship will serve as both a warship and a humanitarian ship. In the event of a natural disaster, the USS Somerset could be deployed to transport emergency supplies. VIDEO: USS Somerset Project Manager Talks About The Ship

Facts About the USS Somerset

Length: 684 feet Beam: 105 feet Speed: 22 knots (24 mph) Aircraft: 4 CH-46 Sea Knight Helicopters or 2 MV-22 Osprey Crew: 360 sailors (28 officers, 332 enlisted) and 3 marines Troops: 699 (66 officers, 633 enlisted) Cost: Approximately $1 billion

Somerset County, Pa., officials attended the ceremonial beginning of construction. VIDEO: Somerset County, PA., Commissioner John Vatavuk Talks About USS Somerset