Mercerdale Park’s new train play sculpture sits firmly in place amongst the other play equipment as the city waits to give the go-ahead signal for the playground to reopen.

It will have to continue waiting as an ongoing three-month concrete strike has delayed progress on the renovation project.

Mercer Island Preschool Association member Ashley Hay, who led its fundraising effort for the playground, likens the “Train Park” scenario to the story “The Little Engine That Could.” Along with COVID-19 delays, there was a fire at the playground equipment factory, weather delays and now the concrete strike.

She calls it “The Little Playground That Could” in that it’s faced myriad obstacles and is so close to finally coming to life.

According to the city’s Let’s Talk page on Feb. 23, the playground is close to completion but workers need to check play surface installation and concrete flatwork off their to-do list.

“We have bench pads and a large entry path to complete before we can open the playground. We will get everything else as ready as we can,” said Paul West, the city’s capital improvement project manager. The pads and path require copious amounts of concrete, and warmer weather needs to emerge for the installation of the resilient rubber surfacing.

The city received its play equipment in December of 2021, eight months following the Playworld fire in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.