The Steel Curtain roller coaster is almost done with its rehab and is set to return to action.

After more than a year’s closure, Kennywood officials announced Thursday that Pennsylvania’s tallest roller coaster will be up and rolling for Memorial Day weekend. The West Mifflin amusement park opened for its 127th season last month with the promise that the ride would return.

“The work has officially been completed and we’ve begun test runs,” said General Manager Ricky Spicuzza.

The test runs will include hundreds of cycles of the ride using test dummies filled with water.

The Steel Curtain was closed all of the 2024 season and at other times during its time since debuting in 2019.

Featuring 4,000 feet of track, the Steel Curtain opened in 2019. In 2024, the coaster began a yearlong modification project to increase the reliability and longevity of the ride, park officials said. Through the project, the park worked with the ride’s manufacturer, S&S Worldwide, and third-party engineers to add three new columns and additional braces throughout the ride. This modification decreased the structural movement of the ride, ultimately allowing the coaster to make more cycles throughout its lifespan, according to Spicuzza.

He said the reason for the shutdown last season was that they saw structural movement, which made the ride inconsistent. He said they decided to take the time — 13 months — to have the ride closed so they could make it able to operate more consistently for years to come.

”We know there were reliability issues,” Spicuzza said.

They’ve added three additional columns and several braces, which will help it be more consistent and strengthen it, he said. They’ve been working with third-party reviewers and engineers as well as the manufacturer and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s Division of Amusement Rides and Attractions, which registers more than 800 amusement ride owners and 10,000 individual amusement rides and attractions annually.

The Steel Curtain will be re-commissioned by the ride’s manufacturer.

Bill Linkenheimer of Ross, who has ridden on more than 1,000 roller coasters all over the world and is the regional representative for the Western Pennsylvania American Coaster Enthusiasts, said it is not unusual for coasters to be shut down.

“The Steel Curtain is a one-of-a-kind coaster and with all of the inversions and the track and height, there will be kinks to work out,” said Linkenheimer.

There is no question this is the No. 1 ride at the park, Spicuzza said.

A ribbon-cutting for the reopening is planned for 11 a.m. on May 24. Spicuzza said special guests will be in attendance, including current Pittsburgh Steelers players and alumni.

The Steel Curtain stands 220 feet tall and has nine inversions, the most of any coaster in the U.S., including the highest in North America. The ride is a little over two minutes and accommodates 1200 people per hour. The flagship Steelers-themed attraction was named after the Steel Curtain, a nickname bestowed on the 1970s defensive line that led Pittsburgh to four Super Bowls.

Season pass holders will get an exclusive first ride time on May 23.

“We can’t wait to reintroduce this iconic coaster to our guests,” Spicuzza said. “With a heightened focus on the Steel Curtain’s reliability, this summer guests can expect to hop on for a ride during every visit to Kennywood. The Steel Curtain will be more reliable for years to come.”

Kennywood announced earlier this year that it will soon be operating under new ownership, Atlanta-based Herschend, whose other holdings include Dollywood and the Harlem Globetrotters. Herschend will acquire Palace Entertainment’s U.S. attractions, which include Kennywood, Sandcastle in West Homestead and Idlewild & SoakZone in the Laurel Highlands.

The park will be owned by Palace Entertainment until the regulatory process is completed.

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