Seaside Heights Roller Coaster To Be Removed From Atlantic Ocean
SEASIDE HEIGHTS, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- An iconic image of the devastation Superstorm Sandy left behind will soon be no more.
The Jet Star roller coaster that plunged off the Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, N.J. during the Oct. 29 storm will finally be removed from the Atlantic Ocean.
Demolition is expected to begin Tuesday morning, 1010 WINS' Steve Sandberg reported.
Seaside Heights Roller Coaster To Be Removed From Atlantic Ocean
The project is expected to take about 48 hours to complete, said Casino Pier spokeswoman Toby Wolf.
"Ripping it out of there and getting everything out of the ocean," Wolf said. "[It's] pretty close to shore and that's a safety hazard for swimmers, surf."
A section of the coaster will be preserved to serve as a permanent memorial when the damaged pier is eventually rebuilt, Sandberg reported.
"As we all know, it's been a long journey to get to here," Wolf told WCBS 880's Peter Haskell.
Wolf said the project will be a morale boost of sorts for the shore community.
"Seeing that visibly gone will be kind of a feeling of moving forward," she told Haskell. "A sense of moving forward."
Seaside Heights Roller Coaster To Be Removed From Atlantic Ocean
It is expected to take another year before the pier is fully rebuilt, but a new ride called The Superstorm is already in place, Wolf said.
The remnants of the Jet Star coaster have become an iconic symbol of Sandy's damage in the months since the storm struck.
It's drawn countless onlookers and in January a man was arrested for climbing to the top of the coaster and affixing a flag to the top before being talked down and arrested by police.
The demolition will take place the same day as Prince Harry's visit to the Jersey Shore. He will tour communities that were damaged by Superstorm Sandy, including Seaside Heights and Mantoloking.
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