Buc-ee's first North Carolina store expected to open by May 2027

MEBANE, N.C. (WTVD) -- The firstBuc-ee's store in North Carolina is expected to welcome people by May 2027.

The future site of the Mebane travel center is currently just 32 acres of bare, red earth off Interstate 40.85 in Alamance County.

According to our newsgathering partners at the News and Observer (N&O), by mid-2026, you can expect to see walls going up. It takes about 12 to 18 months to build a Buc-ee's travel center.

Construction began in late 2025 at 1425 Trollingwood-Hawfields Road on I-40/85 exit 152.

N&O reported that a second bridge over the interstate is being installed, which will create a diverging diamond travel pattern that will handle at least a couple of thousand more cars per day. According to NCDOT officials, construction should not affect traffic through the heavily traveled commuter route.

When the project is complete, the site will have a 74,000-square-foot travel center that is about 39 feet tall-- the same as a three-story building.

When the new Buc-ee's store opens, there will be:

• 200 full-time jobs starting at $18 an hour for cashiers, bathroom attendants and warehouse staff and $21 an hour for food service workers with benefits.
• There will be an interactive kiosk with information about other places to visit in Mebane.
• The site will include 650 parking spaces, including 11 spaces for buses and recreational vehicles, 120 gas pumps at 60 fueling stations, EV-charging sites, and much more.

Be sure to download the ABC 11 mobile app | Download the ABC11 North Carolina streaming app