by Donald Wood
Last updated: 5:00 PM ET, Fri June 26, 2015
PHOTO: A rendering of what the Ark Encounter will look like when finished.
There isn't a giant flood coming, but they are building a replica of the Noah's ark from the Old Testament of the Bible in Kentucky.
The project to build a full-size replica of the vessel described in the Bible took another step toward completion Thursday when workers in Williamstown, Ky., hoisted one of the giant ribs into place for the 510-foot-long ark.
According to Brad Evans of WLWT.com, the tourist attraction has been dubbed the Ark Encounter and is being built by a Christian ministry called Answers in Genesis. The group claims the ship will be the largest timber-frame structure in the world when completed.
The dimensions of the building project were provided from the specifications of Noah's ark recounted in the Bible, and the structure will have exhibits on the first three floors and a restaurant on the fourth floor.
Answers in Genesis president Ken Ham told WLWT.com that the tourist destination expects to draw in two million visitors to the area per year when the project is expected to be completed in the summer of 2016.
Ham went on to tell Evans, "I believe it will be one of the biggest attractions outside of Disney, Universal, people like that - it's going to be one of the biggest attractions in this country."
The project is currently on schedule and sits on a small section of the 800 acres of land. Even with the expansive property, crowds are expected to be large enough to warrant reservations until the initial onslaught of visitors dies down.
For more information on the Ark Encounter project, check out the official website.
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