SANDUSKY, Ohio -- One of the most anticipated roller coasters ever built at Cedar Point doesn't open until next year, but the track's construction is nearly finished.
“The trackwork is approximately 95% complete,” Cedar Point’s Tony Clark posted in the park’s latest blog entry. “There’s just the initial drop and the top part of the lift to finish.”
Crews with Rocky Mountain Construction, a company known for overhauling rickety wooden coasters, have been working on the attraction for months.
Clark said he expects the final pieces of Steel Vengeance’s track will be put in place “very soon.”
See photos of what Steel Vengeance will be like once it's complete:
PHOTOS | Cedar Point introduces Steel Vengeance roller coaster for 2018
“After that, attention shifts to all sorts of other things -- catwalks, railings and general ‘clean up’ around the site,” Clark continues. “The mechanical components like the brakes, lift chain, sensors, etc. will all come right after we close.”
Steel Vengeance is known as the first ever hyper-hybrid coaster, which means its steel track sits atop a wooden structure standing taller than 200 feet.
Breaking a total of 10 world records, Steel Vengeance features a 2:30 experience with speeds up to 74 mph and a 90-degree first drop. Riders will encounter 27.2 seconds of airtime -- more than any other roller coaster in the world.
Steel Vengeance takes over the space once held by the Mean Streak, which first opened in 1991. The ride closed forever in September 2016 after more than 26 million people climbed aboard its towering lumber.
The general public can get their first rides on Steel Vengeance in May 2018.
STEEL VENGEANCE RIDE STATS
Ride time: 2 minutes, 30 seconds
Maximum speed: 74 mph
Capacity: 1,200 riders per hour
Model: Hyper-hybrid (Wood-steel coaster higher than 200 feet)
Lift hill height: 205 feet
Angle of first drop: 90 degrees
Vertical drop height: 200 feet
Total track length: 5,740 feet
Ride: Three, 24-passenger trains named after ‘Wanted’ characters “Blackjack,” “Digger” and “Wild One.”
Restraints: Lap bar with redundant safety belt
WORLD RECORDS
Tallest hybrid roller coaster (205 feet)
Fastest hybrid roller coaster (74 mph)
Longest hybrid roller coaster (5,740 feet)
Steepest drop on a hybrid roller coaster (90 degrees)
Longest drop on a hybrid roller coaster (200 feet)
Most inversions on a hybrid coaster (4)
Fastest airtime hill on a hybrid coaster (73 mph)
Most airtime on a hybrid coaster (27.2 seconds)
Most airtime on any roller coaster (27.2 seconds)
World’s first hyper-hybrid roller coaster
With the addition of Steel Vengeance, Cedar Point has the most roller coaster track in the world with 11.4 total miles. It’s also the only amusement park with six roller coasters taller than 200 feet.
Cedar Point is currently open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday for HalloWeekends with gobs of ghastly new haunted happenings. The last operating day of the 2017 season is Sunday, Oct. 29.
