Six Flags Great America is building a new wooden roller coaster and says it will be the fastest wooden roller coaster in the world. It will go at speeds of up to 72 mph.
"The theme park north of Chicago says it'll break two other records for wooden coasters: It will have the tallest drop at 180 feet and the steepest drop at 85 degrees," reported the AP.
The AP reported that construction off the ride will start this fall and it is scheduled to open in spring 2014. The ride will be called the Goliath.
Six Flags Great America park president Hank Salemi said to the AP that the "Goliath will be unmatched."
"The Goliath, as it's called, will be 165 feet tall, but plunge into a 15-foot deep tunnel for a record-setting 180 foot fall. The first drop will plummet screaming passengers at an 85-degree angle - just short of 90 degrees, which would be straight down," reported The Chicago Tribune.
This is the first new roller coaster at the park since X Flight in 2012. The Goliath combines wood and steel and can do things that previously only steel rides could do, with the help of recent advances with 3-D computer modeling technology.
"The Goliath will be built by Rocky Mountain Construction of Hayden, Idaho, a company that fans say made a name for itself by building the Outlaw Run and other wooden coasters.
The company's owners, who previously built custom homes and specialty zoo exhibits, developed a new type of track that tops the wooden track with steel, and runs on steel tubes filled with concrete grout for greater strength, Chief Operating Officer Jake Kilcup said," reported The Chicago Tribune.
Six Flags emerged from bankruptcy in 2010 and has grown since then.
"Our guests can be confident that our rides are not only cutting-edge, but most importantly, that they are safe to ride," Six Flags Great America spokeswoman Katy Enrique to The Chicago Tribune.
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