Kentucky’s next Buc-ee’s is still planned for Oak Grove, but drivers will have to wait much longer than originally expected. The state’s existing Smiths Grove store has already made Interstate 65 a growing Buc-ee’s corridor; the Oak Grove project would bring the chain to Interstate 24 near Fort Campbell.
Unfortunately, its expected opening has now slipped to 2029.
The location was announced in 2024 for property near I-24’s Exit 89 and Pembroke-Oak Grove Road. Buc-ee’s said at the time that construction should begin in the first quarter of 2025, with completion expected in the first half of 2026.
Those plans encountered extensive infrastructure requirements surrounding the site.
Local reporting says the needed work includes rerouting roads, rebuilding portions of the interchange, installing roundabouts, addressing drainage and stormwater concerns and constructing a new water tower. Those are substantial projects that must be coordinated before the area can comfortably handle Buc-ee’s traffic.
Oak Grove Mayor Jackie Oliver acknowledged in 2025 that construction had been pushed back. By May 2026, Buc-ee’s expansion information listed the Oak Grove opening for 2029.
The project has been delayed, not canceled
Despite the lengthy wait, there has been no announcement that Buc-ee’s has abandoned Oak Grove.
The city approved an economic-development agreement supporting the project, and company representatives have previously cited the community’s enthusiasm as one reason for selecting the location. The travel center is expected to create approximately 200 jobs once completed.
Oak Grove is a strategically attractive destination. It sits beside Fort Campbell and close to the Tennessee border, allowing a Buc-ee’s there to serve military families, local residents and travelers moving between Clarksville, Nashville and western Kentucky.
The store would become Kentucky’s third Buc-ee’s. The company currently operates in Richmond along Interstate 75 and Smiths Grove along Interstate 65.
Those two stores give Buc-ee’s access to north-south travelers through central Kentucky. Oak Grove would extend its reach westward and establish a presence on I-24, a major route connecting Kentucky with Nashville and points farther southeast.
The 2029 projection represents a delay of roughly three years from the earliest opening estimates. Given the amount of public infrastructure involved, even that timetable could shift as engineering and construction proceed.
For now, however, Oak Grove remains Kentucky’s next planned Buc-ee’s. The project is alive, but the latest schedule means Kentucky travelers should not expect brisket, Beaver Nuggets and Buc-ee’s bathrooms at Exit 89 until 2029.
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