Buc-ee’s was given the green light earlier this summer by the city of Huber Heights to begin groundwork at the site, but Thursday’s event will signal the beginning of full-on construction.
A Buc-ee’s representative has said previously that construction is estimated to take around 18 months, which could allow the massive gas station/travel center to open as early as February 2026.
Credit: JIM NOELKER
Credit: JIM NOELKER
Development plans for the 74,000-square-foot convenience store include a slew of upgrades to the roadway and interchange near the site. Of a 700-page final report submitted to the city in May outlining project details, around 500 of those pages focused solely on traffic.
According to the plans, the Buc-ee’s store will have two access points from Ohio 235, one being at the CenterPoint 70 Boulevard intersection to the north and one at the Artz Road intersection to the south.
A 270-foot northbound right-turn lane will be added at the Artz Road/Buc-ee’s access intersection, which will be the store’s main entrance, along with a 375-foot northbound right-turn lane at the CenterPoint 70 Boulevard/Buc-ee’s Boulevard intersection.
Buc-ee’s worked with the Ohio Department of Transportation to determine necessary upgrades that will accommodate the anticipated influx in daily traffic to the new store.
Conclusions from a traffic study recommend construction of a traffic signal intersection at the I-70 westbound to northbound Ohio 235 off-ramp (currently, traffic from the exit ramp merges into northbound Ohio 235 traffic with no light or stop), along with an additional northbound thru-lane at this location.
An additional lane on the I-70 westbound exit ramp will also be constructed, among other changes to Ohio 235.
Plans for the store include installation of 120 gas pumps and more than 700 parking spaces on the nearly 53-acre site.
Buc-ee’s has a devoted fan following, with customers drawn to the store’s notoriously clean bathrooms, wide variety of snacks from brisket and beef jerky to Beaver nuggets, and an array of merchandise stamped with the company’s cartoon Beaver logo.
Founded in Texas in 1982, Buc-ee’s operates 34 stores across Texas and 12 out of state, with plans to open at least five new locations between now and 2025, including Springfield, Miss.; Johnstown, Colo.; Hillsboro, Texas; and Smiths Grove, Ky. in 2024 and Boerne, Texas in 2025, according to the company’s website.
About the Author