August 12th 2023.
After weeks of tests and inspections, the Fury 325 rollercoaster at the Carowinds amusement park in Charlotte has been reopened. The ride was shut down earlier this summer after a visitor noticed a massive crack bending as riders whizzed by.
A spokesperson for Carowinds told Fox News on Thursday that the Fury 325 had reopened following the completion of the repair and testing process, and a final inspection by the North Carolina Department of Labor’s Elevator and Amusement Device Bureau. The spokesperson added that the return to operation marked the end of a comprehensive plan dedicated to ensuring the safety and operational readiness of the coaster.
Jeremy Wagner, a father who was visiting the amusement park with his family, first noticed the crack in the support pillar of the rollercoaster. He recorded video as a car full of riders flew past, and the cracked pillar wobbled. After this discovery, North Carolina Department of Labor Commissioner Josh Dobson reported that the crack had been observed about a week before park officials stopped the ride.
The manufacturer of the coaster then produced a new steel support beam and it was installed. Additionally, the ride ran for ‘500+ full cycles, performing tests and inspections to ensure the ride’s integrity throughout that period’, according to officials.
Carowinds’ website calls the Fury 325 ‘the tallest, fastest, longest giga coaster in North America’. Now that the ride has been given the green light to resume operations, riders can once again experience this impressive coaster in all its glory.
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