July 4's gas costs highest since '08

State road work adds travel knots

Motorists stop Tuesday at a Pilot Travel Center off Interstate 30 in Bryant. People traveling on the long Fourth of July weekend will see some of the highest gasoline prices since 2008.
Motorists stop Tuesday at a Pilot Travel Center off Interstate 30 in Bryant. People traveling on the long Fourth of July weekend will see some of the highest gasoline prices since 2008.

Drivers who hit the road to celebrate the Fourth of July are expected to face the highest gas prices in six years and almost 50 miles of lane closures on major Arkansas highways.

National travel association AAA reports that drivers across the United States will pay an average of 20 cents more for gasoline this year than last year during the July Fourth travel period, which runs from today through Sunday.

According to AAA's daily fuel gauge report, Tuesday's national average was $3.672 per gallon for regular-grade gasoline. One year ago, it cost $3.487 for a gallon.

In Arkansas, drivers paid an average of $3.477 for a gallon of regular-grade gasoline Tuesday, up from $3.296 last year on the same date.

AAA predicts that gas prices for this July Fourth travel period will be the highest since 2008, when a gallon of regular-grade gasoline in Arkansas cost an average of $3.94 on July 4.

But AAA spokesman Don Redman said prices have gone down in the past few days and might not reach that 20-cent increase.

"Actually, I think the motorists are going to get a break in the last minute," Redman said.

Despite the cost of fuel, AAA expects an increase in travelers this year.

The organization predicts that 41 million Americans will venture 50 miles or more from their homes between today and Sunday, a 1.9 percent increase from last year.

Redman said AAA does not make estimates about the number of travelers in specific states.

The national increase is because of Americans being more willing to take on credit card debt to finance vacations, according to a statement from AAA.

People have been hesitant to add to their debt in the past several years, but improvements in employment opportunities and increased home values are making them feel more financially comfortable, the statement says.

Most travelers, 34.8 million of them, will drive to their destinations.

Those who drive in Arkansas will likely face congestion on major highways because of road construction.

Backups might be especially bad on Interstate 40 at Forrest City and Russellville, where one lane will be closed in both directions for 8 miles because of road work, said Randy Ort, spokesman for the Arkansas Department of Highway and Transportation.

"If people plan ahead, they may want to consider an alternate route," Ort said.

There will also be one-lane closures in both directions on I-40 at West Memphis, on Interstate 30 at Hope, on Interstate 55 at Osceola, on Interstate 530 at Hensley and on U.S. 67 at Bald Knob.

Ort said the increase in holiday travelers will only add to the congestion already caused by the lane closures.

"If there's a flat tire, a car breaks down, there's a minor accident," Ort said, "it only takes a few minutes to back things up, and it takes a long time for traffic to start recovering."

The Arkansas State Police said troopers will be working to reduce the number of holiday-related accidents.

State police are partnering with local law enforcement agencies to crack down on speeding, and drunken and drugged driving. The crackdown started Saturday and will continue until July 14.

It will include sobriety checkpoints on major highways and secondary roads, as well as increased speed enforcement using low-profile vehicles and speed detection devices.

"This is one of our busiest travel weekends, so our accidents and alcohol arrests spike during this time," said Cpl. Chuck Lewis of the Arkansas State Police. "We're simply trying to keep Arkansans safe during the holidays."

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers also wants to keep Arkansans safe this July Fourth and urges people visiting national parks to practice water safety.

"We want to ensure people are water-safe -- they're wearing their life jackets, they're not boating and drinking, they're not using fireworks in the campsites," said Laurie Driver, spokesman for the Corps' Little Rock District.

She said the law requires life jackets only for people age 12 and under, but everyone should wear one.

"It's an insurance policy," she said. "If you want to have a good time, go out, enjoy it, but wear a life jacket. You can have a great weekend and wear a life jacket."

Driver said the state's federal parks are expected to be full this weekend, and very few camping spaces are still available.

"There are a few spots here and there at our different lake facilities," she said.

Campsites and cabins at state parks are almost completely booked, too, said Parks Director Greg Butts.

"By and large, if you haven't made your plans yet, it's going to be tough to find a place to camp or stay," he said.

Butts said there were a little more than 100 vacancies left Tuesday throughout the state park system.

But he said there were still plenty of places for day trips, and many state parks are hosting fireworks shows and other Independence Day activities.

"Even if you can't spend the night, it's a great day to get out and travel around Arkansas," he said.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will have wildlife officers on patrol throughout the holiday weekend and expects more than 1 million people to be out on state lakes and rivers, said spokesman Keith Stephens.

While most people will drive to their destinations this July Fourth, an estimated 3.1 million will travel by air, according to AAA.

Airfare costs are 5 percent lower this year than in 2013, and car rental costs have stayed flat, AAA reports.

Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport/Adams Field in Little Rock is expecting 27,686 passengers for today through Sunday, said airport spokesman Shane Carter. Carter said July Fourth is typically the airport's busiest summer holiday.

"You can expect some delays from parking to the ticket lobby to the security checkpoint," he said.

Carter said passengers can cut down on waiting times by checking in online to print their boarding passes and making sure items in carry-on baggage meet Transportation Security Administration guidelines before they arrive at the airport.

Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport in Highfill is expecting 8,307 passengers during the travel period, said Jerry Fussell, the airport's Transportation Security Administration supervisor.

Fussell and Carter said Thursday will be the busiest travel day.

Passenger estimates for Memphis International Airport, which is used by many eastern Arkansans, were not available Tuesday, said airport spokesman Glen Thomas.

Thomas said the airport's six airlines handle their own scheduling and booking, so the airport doesn't have specific numbers for the volume of passengers.

However, he said the Memphis airport does not typically see increased volume for the July Fourth holiday.

"Fourth of July week is really not one of our busier weeks in terms of travel," he said, noting that there will probably be fewer passengers this week than last week, which was not a holiday week.

A section on 07/02/2014

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