The Steel Curtain, Kennywood Park’s new highly anticipated roller coaster, closed about two hours early on Saturday night — the first day it opened to the public.
Kennywood spokesman Nick Paradise said the ride had to close around 8:30 p.m. because of technical difficulties.
Mr. Paradise said the occupied ride stopped momentarily heading up the lift hill, then completed its run smoothly. Crews ran some tests at that point and decided to close the ride for the evening.
He said the park hopes to have the coaster ready to reopen Sunday morning.
“It’s not unusual to work through technical issues with a brand-new ride, especially one as unique and complex as Steel Curtain,” Mr. Paradise said Saturday night. “We’ll update status for Sunday as early as possible on our website and social channels.”
The Steel Curtain opened Friday to invited guests, including current and former Steelers players, coaster enthusiasts and members of the media.
The Steel Curtain sends riders upside down nine times — more than any other roller coaster in North America — and boasts the world’s tallest inversion at 197 feet high.
The coaster is the flagship attraction of the yet-to-open Steelers Country at Kennywood, which will include interactive games, retail and dining experiences.
Kennywood and the Steelers announced the new roller coaster and park area, located where the Log Jammer ride used to be in the northeast corner of the park, on July 19, 2018. It’s the biggest coaster yet designed by S&S Worldwide.
First Published: July 14, 2019, 2:05 a.m.
Updated: July 14, 2019, 2:24 a.m.
