Milestone reached in building of £16m ride

More than 80 per cent of work on the foundations of the new £16.25m Construction MMXVIII rollercoaster is now complete. It will open next year.

The building project has already seen more than 5,500 tonnes of soil excavated since work began, and over 8,000 metres of pre-cast concrete piles and steel tubes driven up to 12 metres into the ground.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach technical director Alex Payne said: “We’re really pleased with progress to date. On a project of this scale there are numerous opportunities for challenges to arise. Five years’ meticulous planning and advancements in technology have however enabled us to plan everything down to the millimetre, enabling us to know exactly where everything is and reducing the risk of set-backs.

“Work on the foundations is very near to completion.

“Our focus will then move to phase two, putting processes in place for essential enabling works – introducing electricity and air supplies, and building the sub-station.

“The rollercoaster will be one of the most thrilling in the world.”

Blackpool Pleasure Beach will open daily from April 1. Visitors will be able to get a first-hand look at the construction of what will be UK’s first ever double launch rollercoaster.