Road Construction Oaks

The Oaks Shopping Center, the construction site across Black Rock Road and the Expo Center all have contributed to a need for increased traffic capabilities of the nearby roads. Hopefully, that need is being addressed with the current road construction.

The Norristown bound side of Egypt Road is being widened as it approaches the eastbound US 422 entrance.

The grass has been scraped from quite a bit of the hillside along Egypt Road.

It looks like new storm drains will be installed along the road.

New utility poles were planted to carry the overhead traffic signals at both intersections along Egypt Road - Black Rock and Mill Roads.

Although the entrance ramp will be wider, it is not likely US 422 will be widened much beyond the entrance ramp.

Above is the eastbound exit from US 422 onto Norristown bound Egypt Road. There is a basin that was excavated to the right of the exit ramp. It is full of water. I spoke with an older lifetime Oaks resident who remembers a spring right where that basin is today. I wonder if anyone did their homework before digging that basin?

Below are a few images I created whilst out with a camera. I can be dangerous, at times.

With all this road construction, surely the roads will not be jammed in the future. One can only hope someone knows what they're doing.


©Damyon T. Verbo - all right reserved

Oaks Construction - First Week of February

The rate of construction in Oaks, PA has increased in the first week of February. 

There is work being done at the SE corner of the Oaks Shopping Center site. 

Earth moving at the Chicago Grill / Pizzeria Uno site.

As well as at the eastbound exit of US 422.

There is quite a bit of activity near the western end of the Oaks Shopping Center site, at the intersection with Mill Road.

A grader and bulldozer with GPS units at each end of its blade are digging down below the street level.

Lots of earth is being moved. More than a half dozen pieces of equipment are doing the moving.

More drainage pipes have been buried under gravel.

The weather has been cooperative.

 No deep freezes.

 Very little precipitation.

 No storms or high winds.

Before you know it you will be able to smell the Wawa coffee at Egypt and Black Rock Roads.

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Oaks Shopping Center Layout

Source:Audubon Land Development

I found a drawing of the planned Oaks Shopping Center. I thought you might be interested in seeing the layout. I have it here for you to study.

The four large buildings close to Egypt Road are from right to left - Penn Liberty Bank, Wawa, Wendy's and the 8,500 sqft building on the left is rumored to be a Buffalo Wild Wings. There are 22 retail spaces located at the back of the lot. The size of the retail spaces range from 1160 sq ft to 3865 sq ft. 

I'm just going to throw out some possible retail establishments that might move into those spaces.

• All night hot dog grill
• Cupcake bakery
• Chinese restaurant
• Mexican restaurant
• Indian restaurant
• Thai restaurant
• Turkish restaurant
• Afghan restaurant
• Persian restaurant
• Iranian restaurant
• Brazilian steak house
• Pho restaurant
• Mongolian hot pot
• Pizzeria
• Bagel shop
• Coffee shop
• Bakery outlet
• Donut shop
• Ice cream shop
• Payday money store
• Craft distillery
• Cheese and wine making supplies
• Diagnostic lab
• Physical therapy
• Tattoo shop
• Fortune teller
• Occult shop
• Cosplay shop
• Video games
• Dollar store
• Five dollar store
• Pet shop
• Hair cutter
• Phone store
• Martial arts studio
• Dance studio
• Wild bird store

What kind of stores do you think might move into these locations?

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Progress Marches On in Oaks, PA

Progress at the two building sites in Oaks, PA is marching along.

The Chicago Grill site has a level pad and a berm near the cemetery wall at St. Paul's Episcopal Church. 

There is pipe on site that will undoubtably be buried as part of the infrastructure.

Concrete sewer castings are waiting to be placed.

The larger site across Black Rock Road also has signs of progress.

The Oaks Gardens building has been ravaged.

 A broken shell.


The lot has been defoliated, partially graded and rolled. It looks large. Much larger than before the work began. 


To defoliate, whole trees were eaten in one shot by an enormous piece of equipment.


There are graders, rollers, excavators, back hoes, dozers and other heavy construction behemoths on site waiting for their shot at progress.









The train tracks that ran along the western edge of the site were ripped out along with the trees on that grew alongside. 


Houses are now clearly visible along that edge of the site. I am guessing that the owners of those houses have a new clear view of the site, also.

Progress marches on.


©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

New Views in Oaks, PA

Intersection of Egypt and Black Rock Roads from Bob Evans parking lot

For well over five years there has been talk of more commercial building on Egypt Road, in Oaks, PA. In the last month there is evidence of such development. The wooded lot was cleared between Black Rock Rd. and US 422 on the west side of Egypt Rd.

Looking east from Black Rock Road towards US 422

The talk on the street is that a Chicago Grill will be the first restaurant built. Originally Chili's was to go in first, but what ever reason, they delayed their efforts. Chili's may still be built but Chicago Grill will be ringing the register first.

Across Black Rock Road from the Chicago Grill site is the reputed site of a Super Wawa, and some restaurant(s)/commercial buildings. This site was cleared well over two years ago and has laid fallow for as long. There was some infrastructure work done over that time, but not much. The lot includes the Oaks Gardens business at the very far edge of the photograph. Oaks Gardens will be history when work begins in ernest.

So much time has past since the original Wawa development sign went up that it has since blown down. There doesn't seem to be any urgent reason to reinstall it.

If I may go back to the Chicago Grill site for a moment, I want to mention the view of St. Paul's Episcopal Church. I am not sure if this view of the church was ever available. There were quite a few trees between Egypt Rd. and the church. The view is available now and it is quite a sight. 

Credit:http://keeptron.blogspot.com/2011/04/collection-of-different-cuisines.html

Enjoy it while it lasts. Neon will block the view soon enough.


©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Electrical Outage Due to Sandy

There is a road I pass daily that has been closed since super storm Sandy went through Oct. 29 and 30.

The sign on the road stated it was closed because of flooding. Two days past the last of Sandy, the road was still barricaded. Sandy didn't deliver enough rain for that kind of flooding. I decided to investigate.

It was fifteen minutes before sunrise and birds were singing and chirping all around. I parked just past the barricade and walked towards the stream where the flooding would occur. As I progressed farther, I could hear the drone from one electrical generator.

In front of the house with the droning generator I saw a large branch of a Catalpa speciosa(cigar tree) lying atop the power lines. It was putting a severe amount of tension on those wires.

Beyond the broken branch, on the ground, was a electrical transformer. Due to the tension on the wires the utility pole, on which the transformer was mounted, was broken and dangling upside down. When this incident originally happened, this was a very dangerous situation. Live wires on the ground. The ground wet with rain. A deadly situation.

The transformer was definitely off the pole and on the road pavement. It was fairly obvious the electricity had been turned off to this section of the road. But you can never be sure. It is best to stay far from the wires and transformer if you were to come across this situation.  Electricity is not forgiving.

At the time this photograph was captured, except for the one house with the generator, the houses on this road were without electricity for four days.

As sure as the sun will rise again, electricity will return to the houses on this road. Just not sure when.


©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved