Buc-ee’s travel center in Mississippi is moving along. Slowly, but it’s moving. In the nine months since the company held a groundbreaking ceremony at the site on Menge Avenue at Interstate 10 in Pass Christian, it has moved a lot of mountains, including mounds of dirt.

A new overpass over I-10, development plans and all the other behind-the-scenes preparation work had to be done, but now it’s time for construction to begin in earnest.

A concrete driveway has been poured that leads to the future Buc-ee’s site and workers are installing pipes and leveling the ground at what will be the travel center some time in 2025.

Buc-ee’s Harrison County will be the first Buc-ee’s in Mississippi.

Hold on to your Beaver Nuggets: Buc-ee’s is known for having “the world’s cleanest bathrooms, freshest food and friendliest beaver,” but the Pass Christian location also will have plenty of other favorites, including Texas barbecue, homemade fudge, kolaches, jerky and fresh pastries.

Thousands of other snack and drink products will fill the shelves and there will be plenty of friendly attendants on hand to help you navigate the massive store.

“It’s impossible to go to a Buc-ee’s and use the phrase ‘ho-hum’ because there’s always so much going on,” Jeff Lenard, vice president of strategic industry initiatives at the National Association of Convenience Stores, told USA TODAY in an earlier story.

Outside, there will be 120 fueling positions for pumping “cheap” gas and 24 EV charging stations at the 74,000-square-foot facility.

That’s a much larger travel center than any of the ones in Alabama, which range in size from 50,000 to 55,000 square feet.

Harrison County will bring at least 200 full-time jobs, with starting pay above minimum wage, full benefits, a 6% matching 401k plan and three weeks of paid vacation.

“Harrison County is a vibrant community with five thriving cities and stunning beaches,” said Stan Beard, director of real estate for Buc-ee’s. “It’s perfectly situated along I-10 between our Texas and Alabama stores and we can’t wait to be the best place to stop on the Mississippi Coast.”

Buc-ee’s was founded in 1982 in Texas. The company has grown to 46 stores throughout the South. In 2019, Buc-ee’s began a multi-state expansion, opening travel centers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina and Tennessee.

Buc-ee’s also opened locations in Springfield, Missouri, and Johnstown, Colorado. A Buc-ee’s in Ruston, Louisiana, is expected to open in 2025, and a second Louisiana location is already in the works. Others are planned for Virginia, Ohio and Wisconsin.

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The largest Buc-ee’s opened June 10 in Luling, Texas, near San Antonio. At 75,000 square feet, the store edged out the Sevierville, Tennessee, travel center, which had boasting rights for roughly a year with its 74,500-square-foot facility.

USA TODAY reported another — even bigger — Buc-ee’s is in the works. This one will be located in Ocala, Florida, and will encompass roughly 80,000 square feet.

The popularity of Buc-ee’s has grown exponentially over the years. Several Facebook groups for Buc-ee’s lovers are fairly active most days. One of the groups has nearly 245,000 members.

In addition to the clean facilities, dozens of pumps for filling up and tons of snacks to choose from, there are still other reasons to like Buc-ee’s.

“There’s always a ton of people there, but everybody seems to be getting where they’re going,” Facebook group administrator Anthony Villareal of Houston told USA TODAY. “You don’t have to wait too long for something. It speaks volumes to the efficiency of the place.”

To learn more

For more information about Buc-ee’s, visit buc-ees.com.

USA TODAY reporters George Petras and Jennifer Borresen contributed to this story.

Have you been to a Buc-ee’s? What was your experience like? Contact Lici Beveridge at lbeveridge@gannett.com. Follow her on X @licibev or Facebook at facebook.com/licibeveridge.

This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: Bucees Mississippi moving along