Carowinds reopens Fury 325 rollercoaster, closed for over a month

Carowinds has reopened the Fury 325 rollercoaster, which was was closed for more than a month after someone noticed a crack in a support pillar.

The ride reopened Thursday after a final inspection by the state Department of Labor's Elevator and Amusement Device Bureau.

Over the last weeks, crews worked to replace the cracked pillar with a new steel column.

According to Carowinds, the ride has undergone extensive testing since it was repaired, including an accelerometer test. It was also operated more than 500 times as inspections performed tests.

Finally, a third-party testing firm inspected the ride.

Jeremy Wagner, a Carowinds visitor, found the fracture in the Fury 325 rollercoaster on June 30. He said he noticed part of the coaster moving away from a support beam and then captured a video to show the first employee he could find.

Wagner told WRAL News two employees he flagged down had no sense of urgency.

"I told him, you need to shut this ride down," he said.

After Wagner called the fire department, the ride was shut down for investigation.

Carowinds said the ride manufacturer, Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M), provided the replacement part and made the repair.

A spokesperson from Carowinds said the crack "formed along a weld line in the steel column."

According to Carowinds.com, the Fury 325 is North America's longest steel coaster and is over 1.25 miles long. The ride, which lasts longer than 3 minutes, was voted "world’s best steel coaster" by Amusement Today.

The coaster is 325 feet high and moves at speeds as fast as 95 mph.