Sassafras playground remains closed because of surface issues, but Raleigh has fix

But just a couple months later, in January 2017, the rubber playground surface below the play equipment began to separate and bubble. And that turned into trip hazards and closures of portions of the playground. In the years since, the city has done some work to try to resolve the issue. While that work allowed the playground to reopen, it wasn't a permanent solution. The playground is currently closed.

But the city may have landed on a solution that should fix the surfacing for good—having the vendor replace the entire playground surfacing, which is still under warranty, to full depth.

"Staff has negotiated with the vendor to have the entire safety surfacing redone," Shawsheen D. Baker, capital projects superintendent for the city of Raleigh, tells me. "We are currently working on the contract agreement and hope to start the work soon. We hope to have the resurfacing completed before summer camp starts, but this is still a tentative schedule at this point. Once the contract is executed and we have the work schedule from the vendor, we will update the city’s website."

Baker tells me that the problems emerge whenever the temperature fluctuates around the freezing point. That leads to the top layer delaminating and causing unevenness. "The playground vendor has engaged its surfacing subcontractor who installed and warranted the rubber surfacing to make multiple repairs and area replacements per warranty agreement," Baker tells me.

While officials are working to resolve the issue for good, Baker also knows that the on and off again closures were a disruption for families. The 3.5-acre playground, one of the city's largest, includes 50-foot-long zip lines, swings, slides, adjustable basketball hoops and accessible elevated decking.

"We profusely apologize for the closure," she shared.