Carowinds Amusement Park in North Carolina will replace a steel support column on the Fury 325 roller coaster after a guest noticed a crack, which apparently formed along a weld line.
In a statement to Scripps News, the amusement park said the ride's manufacturer and engineers have conduced numerous tests and decided replacing the support column was the best option.
The column is expected to arrive at the park next week.
“Following the installation of the new column, and as part of our normal protocol for rides such as Fury 325, we will conduct an extensive series of tests to ensure the safety and integrity of the coaster," the park said in a statement.
Roller coaster had noticeable crack for hours, eyewitness says
A visitor to the Carowinds amusement park noticed a crack on a beam supporting the longest steel roller coaster in the U.S.
Carowinds notes that it plans on operating the ride for 500 full cycles during initial testing. It adds that a third party will then be brought in to conduct a final inspection.
Jeremy Wagner first alerted officials to the crack on a July 1 visit to the park. He claimed the park did not immediately shut down the ride.
"I was beside myself; I could not understand why there was no sense of urgency at the park," Wagner told Scripps News.
Carowinds said the roller coaster is designed with "redundancies in place" to ensure the safety of guests in situations like this.
“The safety of our guests and associates will always be Carowinds' top priority," the park said.
The reopening date for the roller coaster will be dependent on the outcome of multiple inspections, but the park said it will provide an update when everything is finalized.
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