OAK GROVE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – Although there has yet to be a groundbreaking on the mega travel center, Buc-ee’s is still set for Oak Grove off of I-24. Hand in hand with several adjustments in the city to accommodate the development, flood mitigation efforts have been initiated ahead of construction.
Fields that sandwich Highway 115 by Exit 89 have experienced significant flooding during rainfall events in the past, and this flood prone area is located just down the road of the future Buc-ee’s site. Right now, developers are in the process of planning and creating nearby stormwater basins to combat flooding. Oak Grove Public Works Director Brian Ahart told Christian County Now that these basins are required in almost all commercial and residential developments in the city.
“Each developer must show how and where stormwater runoff will move during a precipitation event,” said Ahart. “They are used to help prevent severe flooding, protect infrastructure, follow environmental regulations, and reduce water pollution. Stormwater basins are created to help control flooding and will not impact residents.”
While Ahart is unable to share the exact location of the basins, he said creating them is a very involved process. They are designed to mitigate the 100-year flood, which has recently been redefined to new standards. Engineering plans have to be approved before further action in construction.
“They must meet many requirements to reduce erosion, turbidity, and damage to public and private property,” he told Christian County Now. “Developers must plan for a 1% chance of a 100-year flood each year.”
The City of Oak Grove was heavily impacted by a flood in spring of 2025, with several feet of water sitting stagnant for weeks, damaging homes and business throughout Christian County. Aside from this extreme flooding event, multiple neighborhoods in the city have had frequent flooding issues that city officials are looking to correct.
What has caused slower timeline for Buc-ee’s in Oak Grove
Construction of the mega travel center has led the City of Oak Grove to initiate several changes including a major water line expansion and water tower, adjusting roads off of Exit 89, and expanding a nearby bridge to accommodate the development.
Behind the scenes processes have resulted in a longer timeline leading up to a groundbreaking, with no visible action seen on the site nearly two years after the announcement was made. Previously, developers were waiting on approvals from KYTC for road plans to expand the bridge by the interstate and create roundabouts. Since then, the work on the roadway has begun in conjunction with separate interstate upgrades.
When the announcement first came in September of 2024, a project coordinator with Buc-ee’s shared that they would start building as soon as they had approvals from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. She initially anticipated the groundbreaking would occur before the end of 2025. In June of 2025, Oak Grove Mayor Jackie Oliver said it had been pushed to early 2026.
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