Roller coaster back on track

SANTA CLARA — Let the screaming resume.

Great America offi cials announced Wednesday afternoon that the popular Gold Striker roller coaster is back in action after a sound- deadening tunnel was completed to keep it in line with noise restrictions.

The Gold Striker, Northern California’s tallest and fastest wooden roller coaster, was taken offline on Monday while crews worked to encapsulate a portion of the track in a tunnel because riders’ shrieks were pushing it past the decibel limit agreed upon in a settlement with Prudential Real Estate, which owns neighboring properties.

Roller coaster enthusiasts were concerned that the retrofit might take a substantial amount of time — they consider the Gold Striker to be the park’s premier ride and one of the best rides in Northern California, and one they’d waited years for before it opened last month.

They were relieved when they heard the park aimed to have the ride running by the Fourth of July, and park spokesman Roger Ross said the excitement grew Wednesday afternoon after construction was finished, the addition was inspected and empty cars started doing test runs on the tracks.

“People started clapping, and the line started forming,” he said. “And when we let them stay in line, they knew it was true that it was reopening today.”

The first riders were back on the Gold Striker rails shortly after 4 p. m., Ross said.