NEW JERSEY Six Flags to unveil new coaster

The new ride would rise above the Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point.
NEWSDAY
Six Flags Great Adventure will unveil the world's fastest, tallest roller coaster in the spring, a thrill ride that will propel horizontally, reaching 128 mph, then shoot up 45 stories and take a twisting plunge, the amusement park announced.
The Kingda Ka coaster will be part of a new section called Golden Kingdom, the largest expansion of the Jackson, N.J., theme park in 30 years, Great Adventure spokeswoman Kristin Siebeneicher said.
Kingda Ka will be the section's centerpiece. A hydraulic system will launch the coaster to its record-breaking speed in just 3.5 seconds. The cars will then shoot up a 456-foot tower at a 90-degree angle.
At the peak, passengers will feel weightless before the coaster nose-dives 418 feet with a three-quarter twist, dips into a valley and scales a 129-foot hump, leaving passengers weightless for the second time on the 3,118-foot, 50-second journey.
The current fastest, tallest coaster, the Top Thrill Dragster, at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, soars 420 feet high and reaches 120 mph.
Great Adventure's Nitro coaster, by comparison, soars 230 feet with a maximum speed of 80 mph.
Declining attendance
Parks owned by Six Flags, based in Oklahoma City, have been suffering declining attendance, which the company has attributed to the sluggish economy.
Siebeneicher said the additions could help business. "Any time you introduce a major new attraction or a major new addition, typically you will see an increase in attendance," she said.