Cedar Point's new coaster takes flight

SANDUSKY, Ohio (AP) - Northern Ohio's Cedar Point amusement park has announced plans for a "winged" roller-coaster designed to make riders feel like they're flying.

The GateKeeper coaster is the park's first new one since Maverick opened in 2007. It's set to be finished before next season.

With a 163-foot vertical drop and speeds of 67 mph, the blue-steeled tubular coaster will have riders on seats that extend sideways from the track, with nothing above or below them.

The coaster will be built at the main entrance and will pass over arriving guests as it inverts riders and sends them upside-down.

GateKeeper is part of a roughly $30 million project overhauling the park's entrance. That includes tearing down Disaster Transport, a longtime indoor coaster that was attracting fewer riders as maintenance costs increased.