Orange County Register

 By Ryan Rivera, staff writer

The sign outside the Giant Wheel at Irvine Spectrum Center has promised since August that the ride will reopen soon, but seven months later, the attraction remains closed. The 108-foot wheel, which first opened in 2002, is being upgraded to include a safety system that alerts ride operators and stops the wheel if a seat belt is removed.

The safety improvements come in response to an accident on a similar gondola-type Ferris wheel in Stockton, California, in which a 6-year-old boy fell to his death when he became scared and tried to exit the ride. The California Department of Industrial Relations instructed operators to modify rides to prevent future accidents.

“It’s taken longer than we hoped,” said Bill Rams, spokesman for the Irvine Co. “But we plan to reopen by the end of March.”

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