PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. -- Dollywood has announced a new $22 million ride that the theme park says will be the world's fastest wooden roller coaster.
The eastern Tennessee park says the Lightning Rod, themed after a 1950s-era hot rod, should be ready for visitors in March 2016.
The Lighting Rod will launch riders up 20 stories from a standstill to 72 kilometres per hour and riders will get 20 seconds of airtime along the 1.1 kilometre track. The park says the coaster will hit a top speed of 117 kilometres per hour on a 50-metre drop.
The $22-million price tag marks the largest single investment in the Dollywood Co.'s history.
Entertainer Dolly Parton opened Dollywood in 1986 in Pigeon Forge near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
