Construction crews are making significant progress on the Fast and Furious: Hollywood Drift roller coaster at Universal Orlando Resort, despite the scorching heat in Central Florida. The crews are working through the night to install the 170-foot vertical ‘spike’ that will send riders nearly 17 stories into the air over the outskirts of Universal CityWalk.
Construction Challenges
Daniel Leavelle from Midway Mayhem, who has worked on coasters for other parks in Central Florida and beyond, explained that the crews are likely moving quickly to complete the project ahead of the massive crowds at Halloween Horror Nights, which begins on August 28. Leavelle noted that the weather conditions are far from ideal for construction crews, with track temperatures reaching over 140 degrees during the day.
To combat the heat, the crews are working from 10 p.m. at night until 7 a.m. in the morning. Leavelle said that the construction process is being spread out to avoid the daytime heat, with the majority of the work taking place at night.
New Themed Land
In addition to the roller coaster construction, Universal Orlando is also clearing space at ‘The Lost Continent’ land at Islands of Adventure to make way for a new themed land. The trident outside Poseidon’s Fury has been removed, and more gift shops and restaurants are closing to make way for the new development.
Original reporting: WESH Orlando — read the source article.
