LAFAYETTE — A long-planned Buc-ee’s travel center at Interstate 10 and Louisiana Avenue is scheduled for a ceremonial groundbreaking at 11 a.m. Monday, November 9, bringing a highly visible construction milestone to a project that has been in development for nearly two years.

The planned store will cover roughly 74,000 square feet and include about 120 fueling positions. The Lafayette location is expected to open in 2028, although construction schedules can change.

In its original project announcement, the Lafayette Economic Development Authority described an approximately $82 million investment, including about $12.5 million in public infrastructure work. Later accounts have used different project-cost figures, so the original LEDA estimate should not be treated as a current final construction budget.

The development has a public-finance component as well as a private one. Lafayette officials previously approved an additional 2% sales tax on purchases at the location through the Mile Marker 103 Economic Development District to help offset eligible infrastructure costs over time.

Original projections called for at least 150 jobs, with starting pay of $17 an hour and approximately $9 million in annual payroll. More recent industry reporting has cited about 200 positions. Those are projections, not a verified current hiring count.

For North Lafayette, the project could bring travelers off I-10 and support retail spending and nearby services. Its net fiscal impact will depend on actual sales, infrastructure expenses, the tax arrangement and traffic effects after opening.

The scheduled ceremony marks the beginning of a more visible construction phase, not the opening of the store. As of this morning, the groundbreaking had not yet been independently confirmed as completed.

Source links

Lafayette Daily Advertiser, Sept. 30, 2026
https://www.aol.com/articles/buc-ee-sets-nov-9-171912000.html

Convenience Store Dive, Nov. 3, 2026
https://www.cstoredive.com/news/buc-ees-breaks-ground-in-louisiana/873525/

KPLC/Acadiana News First, Sept. 30, 2026
https://www.kplctv.com/2026/09/30/buc-ees-announces-groundbreaking-lafayette/