This State Is Getting Its First Buc-ee’s Next Week and It’s Bringing Major Changes to the Area

Arkansas is about to get its first Buc-ee’s next week, and the surrounding area has spent years getting ready for the crowds that could come with it.

The new travel center in Benton will officially open Monday, August 17, marking the beloved chain’s debut in the Natural State. Ahead of opening day, new traffic lights and street signs are already in place, while local and state officials have developed plans to keep vehicles moving around the busy Interstate 30 corridor.

Benton is preparing for a major traffic increase

One of the biggest changes involves the interstate exit near Buc-ee’s. According to local outlet THV 11, Benton Mayor Tom Farmer said it has essentially been designed as a six-lane exit, with two lanes turning right, two continuing straight, and two turning left.

The Arkansas Department of Transportation also required traffic signals near the property and multiple entrances and exits to accommodate the expected influx of vehicles. Drivers coming from the freeway will have three ways to enter Buc-ee’s.

READ MORE: Buc-ee’s Announces 15 New Store Locations: Is One Opening Near You?

Opening day itself will bring even more precautions. Local police, state police, and the sheriff’s department have coordinated a traffic plan, and Farmer said shoppers can expect a heavy law enforcement presence. “All the authorities, state police, sheriff’s department, police department have all met to come up with a plan that will handle whatever situation arises during the grand opening,” Farmer said, per the outlet.

Buc-ee’s has more stores coming soon

Arkansas isn’t the only state getting more Buc-ee’s. The Benton opening follows the chain’s new San Marcos, Texas, location, which welcomed its first customers August 12.

Murfreesboro, Tennessee, is next, with an opening scheduled for November 16. The expansion will continue in 2027 with planned stores in Ruston, Louisiana; Kansas City, Kansas; Gallaway, Tennessee; Fort Pierce, Florida; Boerne, Texas; and Monroe County, Georgia.

Further out, Buc-ee’s is targeting Mebane, North Carolina, and Lafayette, Louisiana, for 2028, followed by new locations in Florida, Arkansas and Kentucky in 2029 and South Carolina in 2031.

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