If you have cruised along Interstate 20 in Ruston lately, you have already caught a preview of the main attraction: Buc‑ee’s is putting up its first Louisiana travel center, and the site is turning into a live‑action construction show. Mayor Ronny Walker says a partial slab is already poured, fuel tanks are in the ground and the first walls are set to rise as the company pushes toward an April 2027 opening. The city has poured money into nearby road upgrades, and local officials are bracing for a major traffic and economic ripple across northern Louisiana.
“They’re moving fast,” Walker told reporters as crews worked the property, and officials say the project is on or even ahead of schedule for next spring. According to New Orleans CityBusiness, the Ruston site already has a partial slab and buried fuel tanks in place, with walls expected to go up this month, and estimates suggest the center could attract roughly 15,000 vehicles a day.
What the Ruston Buc‑ee’s Will Include
The Ruston project is designed at classic Buc‑ee’s scale. Plans and company statements reviewed by local outlets describe roughly 74,000 square feet of store and food space, along with dozens of fueling positions and large parking fields. Per a company press release reported by the Houston Chronicle, the location is expected to feature about 120 fuel pumps and to create more than 200 full‑time jobs.
Roadwork, Traffic Lights and School Pickup Plans
To keep traffic from snarling around the new draw, Ruston has rolled out a multi‑million‑dollar road program at the Tarbutton Road interchange, widening lanes and adding turn pockets near the interstate. Local reporting notes the city council awarded nearly $8 million in bids for Tarbutton improvements and that crews have been tweaking signal timing; the city later reported new traffic lights were installed April 2 as part of the finishing touches. According to KSLA, a separate $3 million service road is also slated for completion this summer to ease school pick‑up and drop‑off on Tarbutton.
Jobs, Acreage and Local Spillover
Estimates of direct job creation depend on who is counting, with company spokespeople and national outlets putting employment at roughly 200 full‑time positions while some local officials say the center could support as many as 250 jobs. News Radio 710 KEEL reports the developer controls roughly 82 acres for the campus and surrounding development, leaving room for out‑parcels and additional businesses that are already reaching out to city hall.
For Ruston the build is both an infrastructure stress test and a marketing moment: city leaders say they are betting that the Buc‑ee’s effect will pull new hotels, restaurants and shoppers into town. Drivers can expect ongoing lane work and regular construction updates through 2026 as the site gears up for next spring’s ribbon‑cutting.
