Terrifying cracked roller coaster to reopen after '500 full cycles' of test rides, Carowinds says
Popular amusement park Carowinds has announced that it will reopen the Fury 325 roller coaster after a guest captured on video the massive, eight-year-old attraction operating with a major crack in one of its support structures.
The former Paramount-owned park, with borders that stretch over state lines into both North Carolina and South Carolina, released a statement Thursday indicating its intention to open Fury 325 after significant testing and a replacement of the affected support column.
"Since July 1, the park's maintenance team and representatives from the ride's manufacturer, Bolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers Inc. (B&M), have conducted a thorough inspection of the entire track, support columns, and foundation. In addition, and in partnership with B&M, we have performed a battery of tests to identify the cause of the fracture, which appears to have formed along a weld line in the steel column," the statement read. "Working in close coordination with B&M, we are planning to remove and replace the existing support column. The new support column, which is being fabricated by B&M, is expected to be delivered to the park next week."
Following the installation of the new column, the park plans to perform an "extensive series of tests to ensure the safety and integrity of the coaster," including an "accelerometer test that uses sensors to measure any variation in the ride experience." They plan to operate the attraction for "500 full cycles, performing tests and inspections of the entire ride throughout that period."
The park finished the statement by stressing intentions to implement additional, new procedures to address potential future issues, and will also use "drones outfitted with cameras to access and inspect hard-to-reach areas."
Alex Slitz/The Charlotte Observer/Tribune News Service via Getty Images Fury 325 reopening at Carowinds after support crack
A date has not been set for the Fury 325 reopening, which initially opened to the public in 2015. The ride has been closed since late last week, when guest Jeremy Wagner filmed the ride operating with the crack in its structure. Though the image was alarming to many — as the ride stands at 325 feet tall and travels at a top speed of around 95 miles per hour — coasters of this magnitude are often able to safely endure flexibility in their support systems.
"I was trying to shoot the video, and my hands were shaking because I knew how quick this could be catastrophic," Wagner told The New York Times.
Fury 325's designer, B&M, is a world-renowned coaster company that regularly supplies critically-lauded attractions to parks around the world, from the Six Flags chain's Batman-inspired inverted coasters to rides at all three of Sea World's domestic parks, as well as the Hulk-themed coaster at Universal's Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Fla.
Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more
Related content:
