Carowinds has just announced plans to repair their cracked Fury 325 roller coaster, the world’s tallest and fastest giga coaster.
After a detailed inspection with manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard, it was determined that the crack appeared along a weld line in a support beam.
The crack was first spotted by guests of the amusement park a couple weeks ago and quickly went viral on social media, forcing the park to quickly shut down the ride.
Massive crack on Fury 325 at #Carowinds. I emailed the park and they told me, “The park’s maintenance team is conducting a thorough inspection and the ride will remain closed until repairs have been completed.” Credit Jeremy Wagner pic.twitter.com/YrP0zhm3kJ
— Kaitlin Wright (@wxkaitlin) July 1, 2023
Carowinds released an official statement yesterday about the upcoming repairs, ensuring that, “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. These will include an accelerometer test that uses sensors to measure any variation in the ride experience.”
Although a reopening date hasn’t been specified, extensive safety tests will be conducted once the new beam is installed, including running the ride for 500 full cycles and inspection by B&M and a third-party firm. Carowinds plans to introduce additional inspection procedures, involving regular drone use for hard-to-reach areas. Following these measures, the theme park will coordinate with the North Carolina Department of Labor to ready the ride for reopening.
What do you think about the situation?
