NC won’t let Carowinds Fury 325 reopen until after new state safety inspection
As Carowinds’ most popular roller coaster Fury 325 remains closed during the height of the Carolina amusement park’s summer season, state officials say it will not reopen until their own re-inspection shows that the ride can operate safely.
The ride has been closed since July 7 after a routine maintenance inspection by Carowinds workers found an issue with a ride foundation. A week later, the amusement park sent out a brief statement to reporters about the closure after 9 p.m. on July 14, but did not disclose what the problem with the foundation was.
There is no timeframe for when the ride could reopen.
The N.C. Department of Labor has jurisdiction over the Charlotte theme park that crosses the state line into Fort Mill, South Carolina. Its Elevator and Amusement Device Bureau is overseeing the evaluation.
“Out of an abundance of caution, I have issued a shut-down order for the ride,” state Commissioner of Labor Luke Farley said in a statement to The Charlotte Observer. “Our ride safety inspectors have been on site and are working with park management and engineers to oversee the evaluation and any necessary repairs. (On Wednesday, July 15) I visited the site myself to personally review these efforts.”
Earlier safety issues with Carowinds roller coaster
This is the second time in three years that Fury 325 has had to close because of safety concerns.
In 2023, after a park visitor noticed a broken Fury 325 support beam, the coaster closed for six weeks that summer. One roller coaster expert called it “highly unusual” to see a ride like Fury 325 to have a second issue.
This time, the problem is with the roller coaster’s foundation, or footer. The footer is the heavy concrete foundation pad in the ground supporting the ride’s columns and beams that hold the track up.
The location of the footer is not associated with the beam that was replaced three years, Carowinds confirmed Thursday. The park did not make any other details available.
Fury 325 roller coaster repairs ongoing
Fury 325’s repairs began Wednesday behind an enclosed wooden fence with pop-up tents shading crews.
The state Labor Department annually inspects Fury 325 prior to the park opening for the season, along with daily checks from park employees who also inspect the rides in the park.
“The ride will not reopen until NCDOL has conducted a complete re-inspection of the ride and is fully satisfied that it can be operated safely,” Farley said.
At the same time as Fury is shut down, construction is under way for the record-breaking log flume water attraction, Rip Roarin’ Falls, near Fury. It will debut next year. A fence surrounding Fury serves both projects, Carowinds said Thursday.
One of the largest roller coasters in the world, Fury 325 was designed and built by Switzerland-based Bolliger & Mabillard and opened in 2015. The ride reaches speeds of 95 mph, climbs 325 feet into the air and has an 81-degree drop.
Fury 325 has been voted the “Best Steel Coaster” in the world nine years in a row by industry publication Amusement Today‘s annual Golden Ticket Awards.
“Counting down the days until we can climb aboard again,” Carowinds Fans Only said on its Facebook page Wednesday.
Carowinds is owned by Six Flags in Charlotte
Carowinds is owned by Six Flags Entertainment Corp.
Cedar Fair owned the 400-acre park when Fury 325 was previously shut down in July 2023. In November of that year, Cedar Fair and Six Flags Entertainment Corp. announced their $8 billion merger under the Six Flags name. Six Flags was based in Arlington, Texas, and Cedar Fair was based in Sandusky, Ohio. The deal closed in July 2024.
Following the merger, Six Flags moved its headquarters to Charlotte.
