UPDATE: Pa. amusement park coaster reopens after viral photo showed iffy pillar support
Kennywood amusement park in West Mifflin, Allegheny County, closed its iconic Racer roller coaster after a photo that seemed to show part of the structure propped up on cement blocks went viral on social media.
The photo, which was posted on Tuesday to the oneBURGH Facebook group, shows a wooden post resting on a piece of wood, which in turn is off-center on top of two cement blocks. The social media post currently has over a thousand comments and nearly three thousand shares.
In the wake of the photo going viral, Kennywood shut down the Racer temporarily on Wednesday, according to KDKA and WPXI.
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, which oversees the state’s amusement parks, told TribLive that it sent a quality control inspector to the park on Wednesday after receiving a copy of the photo.
“The inspection revealed that the support in question was not the primary structural support, but instead provided backup support only,” Shannon Powers, a department spokesperson said to the news outlet. “As a result, the department determined the ride was safe for operation, and recommended minor, non-structural modifications.”
Crews could be seen working on the coaster on Wednesday, news reports said.
Nathan Morrill, a member of the National Association of Amusement Ride Safety Officials, told TribLive that ride operators often use blocks like the ones in the photo to provide temporary support or footing to a structure, a process known as “cribbing.”
“The cribbing might be perfectly adequate. As long as it is properly supported and meets the demands of the ride, it should be fine,” Morrill said to TribLive. “It could be that they’re doing repairs, and they’ve cribbed it while they build a new support.”
The ride was last inspected on July 20 and was operating up till Wednesday, KDKA reported. The ride is expected to be back open today.
“The safety of our attractions is our top priority. All rides at the park are inspected daily by Pennsylvania-certified state inspectors before opening so that they may be enjoyed safely by all guests,” Kennywood spokesperson Tasha Pokrzywa said in a statement to TribLive.
Earlier this year, the amusement park announced that its Steel Curtain coaster would be closed to the public for the year while it undergoes modifications.
The Racer first opened in 1927 and is one of Kennywood’s oldest rides.
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