Movement on Buc-ee's project expected next month

The city of Ruston expects to let bids in mid-December for up to $10 million in work on the Tarbutton interchange needed for the Buc-ee’s Travel Center to open.

Though the city still doesn’t have the final OK from the state Department of Transportation and Development on the design, Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker said Thursday he’s confident in DOTD’s word that it will approve the work.

Walker said the giant Texas-based convenience store is still committed to coming to Ruston and should open sometime in 2026.

“Everything is on go. We are simply finishing the final stages of the DOTD requirements,” he said.

The transportation agency must also sign off on an interchange modification report that basically gives Buc-ee’s approval to locate on land it has under contract on the north side of the I-20 Tarbutton exchange. The travel center will be directly across from Ruston Junior High School.

“Buc-ee’s is committed. The city of Ruston is committed. DOTD has said it is going to be approved, but we just don’t have the letter in hand,” Walker said.

Walker said what may seem like a long delay, ever since Buc-ee’s announced in January 2023 that it was coming to Ruston, is reflective of the process with large projects.

“These things just take a long time,” he said.

The pending interchange work includes reconfiguring both the east- and west-bound on-off points, and converting the now-three-lane bridge to a five-lane bridge. The bridge, which was finished in 2019, is already wide enough to accommodate the additional lanes, Walker said.   

The city will pay for the work using part of the $15 million in financing approved by the state Bond Commission.

Walker said money left over from the bond funding will pay for water, sewer, and other infrastructure costs the city agreed to incur to get Buc-ee’s to come to Ruston.

The city is also responsible for building a new interstate frontage road from Ruston to Grambling with access to Buc-ee’s. Ruston already has $6 million from the state and $6 million from the federal government toward the cost of the project.

The new two-way traffic frontage road will be on the westbound side of the interstate for customers to access the travel center. The frontage road will be done in two phases: the first phase from Buc-ee’s to the frontage road, and the second phase from the Tarbutton exit to Grambling.

Phase I must be done for Buc-ee’s to open.

Buc-ee’s is getting a lucrative tax incentive package to come to Ruston.

The travel center will be exempt from paying property taxes normally due to the Lincoln Parish School Board for 20 years and from paying sales tax normally due the parish and sheriff’s office for the same 20 years.

The store won’t pay any city sales or property tax for the first 20 years it’s in business. It will also get a cut rate on electricity for the same period, as well as be exempt from any local fees connected to construction of the building.

Ruston’s Board of Aldermen has also created an economic development district around the Buc-ee’s. An additional 2% sales tax to be levied in the district also for 20 years. Proceeds from the additional sales tax generated in the economic development district will go to Buc-ee’s and any future businesses in the development area.