LITTLE ROCK — Arkansans who flock to parks and other destinations over the Memorial Day weekend can expect to find lower gas prices than last year and sunny weather, with one potential interstate traffic bottleneck to avoid.
While construction workers won’t be on the job over the weekend, Interstate 40 near the Cache River in Monroe County will remain narrowed to two lanes as part of a $56.3 million rebuilding project, a situation that has contributed to accidents and sporadic traffic jams.
Glenn Bolick, a spokesman for the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department, said motorists can avoid the construction by taking U.S. 70, south of I-40, from Hazen to Brinkley.
Other alternate routes include U.S. 79 south of I-40, and U.S. 67 and U.S. 64 to the north.
“The real problem has been when people have a wreck — it just backs up forever,” Bolick said.
According to a survey by AAA, formerly known as the American Automobile Association, 34.8 million Americans plan to travel at least 50 miles from home over the Memorial Day weekend, a 1.2 percent increase over the number who traveled that distance during the same weekend last year.
The survey found that the number of people who plan to drive increased by a similar percentage, while the number of people who plan to fly dropped 5.5 percent.
At Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport/Adams Field, the drop in air traffic was expected to be less pronounced.
The airport said it expected to handle 23,152 passengers, about 1 percent fewer than the 23,411 that went through the airport during the Memorial Day weekend in 2011.
Friday was projected to be the busiest day, with 7,550 passengers going through the terminal.
At least partly because of the drop in air travel, the national AAA survey found that the average planned travel distance was 642 miles, compared with last year’s average of 792 miles.
The survey of 315 respondents, conducted April 20-24, had a margin of error of plus or minus 6 percentage points for questions with a yes or no answer.
Those who do head out on the highways won’t have to pay quite as much for gas as last year.
After peaking in early April at $3.94 per gallon, the average price of gasoline nationally had fallen to $3.67 as of Friday, according to AAA.
In Arkansas, the average price of gas was $3.37 a gallon, compared with $3.68 a month earlier.
By comparison, the average price of gasoline on May 25, 2011, was $3.82 a gallon nationally and $3.67 in Arkansas.
AAA spokesman Michael Right said gas prices have less effect on people’s travel plans than other factors, such as a household’s overall financial situation.
“If you’re going on a three- or four-day vacation, the cost of fuel is relatively insignificant to the overall cost of that outing,” Right said.
The National Weather Service predicted mostly clear weather in Arkansas through Monday, with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms Tuesday.
Laurie Driver, a spokesman for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said most of the Corps’ campsites that can be reserved in advance had already been booked by Thursday, and many of the others, available on a first-come, first-served basis, were also filling up.
The Corps manages 5,941 campsites in the state, including more than 500 that have been closed since last month due to budget cuts.
The campsites typically fill up on summer holidays, Driver said.
“It’s a good time to visit the lake,” Driver said, adding that the Corps advises boaters and swimmers to use caution, especially when venturing into the water for the first time for the summer.
Most of the reservations at the 1,700 state park campsites and cabins had also been taken, said Joe Jacobs, marketing and revenue manager for the state Department of Parks and Tourism.
The campsites typically fill up during the Memorial Day weekend, prompting the department to open up overflow areas, Jacobs said. The interest this year appears to be strong, he said.
“We won’t know until after the weekend, but right now it feels like we’re ahead of last year,” Jacobs said.
Arkansas, Pages 11 on 05/26/2012