Carowinds’ Fury 325 ride reopens after support beam crack

CHARLOTTE — The Fury 325 roller coaster has reopened at Carowinds after it was found to have a crack in one of its support beams more than a month ago.

On Thursday, the amusement park announced the ride has gone through a repair and testing process, passing a final inspection with the North Carolina Department of Labor.

From Chopper 9 we can see people riding Fury once again @wsoctv pic.twitter.com/mg0IcxZ5UI
— Joe Bruno (@JoeBrunoWSOC9) August 10, 2023

Carowinds shut the coaster down on June 30 after a video surfaced showing a car full of riders go past a crack in one of the metal support beams, causing it to expand. Then on July 28, a second break on the giga coaster was found.

The park said its maintenance team and the ride maker, Bolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers Inc. (B&M), have been inspecting the ride since July 1. They were able to determine that the beam fractured along a weld line in the steel support column.

In their statement Thursday, the park said B&M created a new steel column for the ride. A series of tests were conducted to make sure the Fury was safe, including one that used sensors to “measure any variation in the ride experience.”

Carowinds said it ran the ride for more than 500 cycles, testing and inspecting it to make sure it worked correctly.

The Department of Labor conducted its final inspection Thursday and approved the ride reopening.

“We extend our sincere thanks to all those who worked tirelessly over the past few weeks to repair and prepare Fury 325 for reopening,” the statement from Carowinds reads. “We are excited to welcome back our guests to one of Carowinds’ most popular rides.”

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