Buc-ee's Construction Begins Near Mebane Promises Jobs and Traffic

Work started in late 2025 on a major travel center that will be the state’s first Buc-ee’s, sited at 1425 Trollingwood-Hawfields Road at I-40/85 exit 152 in the Mebane/Haw River area of Alamance County. Developers said vertical construction was expected to be visible by mid-2026, with the project slated for opening by May 2027. The site will cover 74,000 square feet and includes large-scale fueling and parking infrastructure that will make it a regional draw.

The planned facility includes roughly 120 fueling pumps arranged on 60 fueling islands, about 650 parking spaces that accommodate cars, buses and RVs, EV charging stations, and an interactive kiosk intended to highlight local destinations. Developer projections put permanent employment at around 200 full-time jobs, with starting wages reported at approximately $18 per hour for many positions and about $21 per hour for some food-service roles. Those jobs and wages may provide a meaningful boost to local employment opportunities, particularly for workers seeking full-time roles in retail and hospitality.

Local transportation officials have already moved to limit disruption from expected increased traffic. The North Carolina Department of Transportation is installing a second bridge and a diverging-diamond style interchange connection to handle higher traffic volumes while minimizing impacts on commuter flow along I-40/85. Those upgrades recognize the scale of the site: the combination of hundreds of parking spaces and more than 100 fueling pumps is designed to serve interstate travelers and could attract motorists who otherwise bypass the area.

For Alamance County residents, the project offers a mix of immediate and longer-term effects. In the near term, construction activity will generate job opportunities and demand for local services. The permanent jobs and wage levels cited may raise household incomes for some workers and increase consumer spending locally. The interactive kiosk and the site’s role as a highway destination could drive more visitors into nearby towns, presenting opportunities for local tourism businesses to capture spillover spending.

At the same time, the size of the travel center raises questions about traffic, safety and competition with existing businesses along the corridor. County planners and transportation officials will need to monitor traffic patterns after opening and adjust signals, enforcement and signage as needed. The project also signals broader trends in highway commerce: large travel centers that combine extensive fueling capacity, EV charging and curated local features are becoming hubs for both fuel and leisure travel, with implications for local infrastructure and economic development planning.