Construction on the first Buc-ee’s in Mississippi is well ahead of schedule along Interstate 10 in Harrison County and the massive travel center may open before the end of this year.

Bill Lavers, executive director of the Harrison County Development Commission, told the Sun Herald he hopes to have the site open by Thanksgiving. Although not official, that’s the timeline Buc-ee’s is working toward, he said.

When construction began, the timeframe for opening the new site wasn’t until spring 2025.

Once it does open, the $50 million Buc-ee’s will be among the largest anywhere, with an estimated 74,000 square feet under its roof. At that size, it will dwarf the four Alabama franchises in Loxley, Athens, Leeds and Auburn, each of which is between 50,000-55,000 square feet.

Plans to build the first Buc-ee’s in Mississippi were initially announced by local officials in 2021, with the company confirming the build in 2022.

For those unaware, Buc-ee’s is a chain of travel centers spread across Texas and the southeastern U.S. Known for their immaculate bathrooms, huge gas station facilities, snack offerings and unique souvenir items, Buc-ee’s opened its first store in Lake Jackson, Texas, in 1982, with the name and now-famous mascot inspired by owner Arch Aplin III’s nickname, “Beaver,” and his dog, “Buck.”

That first store was a modest 3,000 square feet. In the years since, both the stores and the number of locations have grown. Buc-ee’s has expanded to more than 40 massive stores located in seven states, with new locations in the works in Colorado, Louisiana, Missouri, Virginia and Wisconsin, as well as Mississippi.

The I-10 project in Mississippi will result in the widening of the interstate to six lanes from Diamondhead to Long Beach, with the funding provided by the federal infrastructure bill. According to the Sun Herald, Harrison County invested $15 million to rebuild the intersection at the I-10 exit to accommodate the additional traffic created by the new Buc-ee’s, as well as additional businesses expected to locate there.

The store is expected to create 200 new jobs, according to the report.