by Malcolm Butler
Just over two years after the initial announcement that Buc-ee’s would be coming to Ruston, the property for the travel center was officially purchased on Friday.
Located just north of I-20 and west of Tarbutton, the roughly 80- to 85-acre tract of land was purchase by Buc-ee’s Ruston, LLC from two separate entities: Graham Properties, LLC and members of the Robbins family (Donald L. Robbins, Sr., Ramona Robbins Miller, Olimbia Rodakis Robbins, Nicole Robbins Harris, and Audrey Grace Miller).
The paperwork from the Lincoln Parish Clerk of Court Office did not include the purchase price, outside of this line in both agreements: “This sale is made and accepted for and in consideration of the sum of One Hundred and No/100 Dollars ($100.00) cash in hand paid, and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and adequacy of which are acknowledged by Seller.”
Several anonymous sources have stated over the past year that the purchase price was thought to be between $85,000 and $90,000 per acre. However, the Lincoln Parish Journal was unable to substantiate this price.
Regardless, this is one of the final steps to the beginning of construction of Buc-ee’s in Ruston.
Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker said Monday night that the timeline for the beginning of construction on the roads and infrastructure along Tarbutton is roughly two months away.
“Bids are due Wednesday of this week,” said Walker. “We extended it one week due to the weather in the state last week. We will open those bids and then talk with our engineers and consultants and our people and decide which is the most reputable and responsible bidder. Basically, it’s the low bid that qualifies.”
Walker said the Ruston City Council would award the bid Feb. 3 during its monthly meeting.
“The (contractor) then has 30 to 60 days to begin work,” said Walker referencing the roads and infrastructure work. “They can start quicker than that if they choose to do so.”
So when will Buc-ee’s begin work on the actual travel center?
“They have told us that they will start about the same time,” said Walker, who stressed that the two projects (road work/infrastructure and Buc-ee’s) were not tied together when it comes to start time.
Walker said that once the work begins, the timeline from start to finish will be roughly 12 to 15 months.
“I would think it will be operational by the end of the second quarter or start of the third quarter in 2026,” said Walker.
Walker warned that residents of Lincoln Parish would be dealing with more than just the construction and road work at Tarbutton in regards to Buc-ee’s. Work on the Cooktown Bridge (Tech Drive Bridge) will be around the same time.
“The state is letting the bids on the Tech Drive Bridge around May,” said Walker. “So there will be road work underway at both Tarbutton and the Tech Drive Bridge around the same time.”
The nationally-renowned travel center currently has 50 locations scattered around the south with 70 percent of those located in Texas. The first Buc-ee’s was built in Lake Jackson, Texas, in 1982. The first Buc-ee’s built outside the state of Texas was completed in 2019 in the state of Alabama.
Louisiana will become just the 12th state to house Buc-ee’s, joining Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. Buc-ee’s has also recently broken ground in Mississippi and Virginia.
Buc-ee’s is currently building two stores in the state of Louisiana as Lafayette will also be home to one of the travel centers.
