Millions of Americans will hit the road this Memorial Day holiday weekend even though they will confront the highest gasoline prices in four years when they pull up to the pump, according to AAA, the North American travel club.
The unofficial start of summer is expected to see 41.5 million Americans travel, nearly 5 percent more than last year and the most in more than 12 years. Of that total, 36.6 million are forecast to travel by automobile.
Meanwhile, gas prices have been on the upswing because of higher prices for crude oil, record demand for gasoline and a shrinking global supply, AAA said.
The national average as of Wednesday for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline was $2.94, up from $2.36 a year ago.
In Arkansas, the average price was $2.65 for a gallon of regular unleaded. Prices in the state ranged from a low of $2.57 in Cleveland County to $2.82 in Izard and Montgomery counties, according to the travel club.
In the state's most populous county, Pulaski, the average price for a gallon was $2.61.
But other factors outpace worries over fuel prices, said Bill Sutherland, senior vice president for AAA Travel and Publishing.
"A strong economy and growing consumer confidence are giving Americans all the motivation they need to kick off what we expect to be a busy summer travel season with a Memorial Day getaway," he said.
The weather could intrude on the weekend, though.
The scattered showers and thunderstorms that Arkansans experienced Wednesday are expected to continue through Friday, according to Sean Clarke, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in its North Little Rock office.
The chances of rain diminish on Saturday and Sunday, especially in central and west Arkansas, he said. A 30 percent chance remains in east Arkansas, but it depends on where a system in the Gulf of Mexico makes landfall.
"The models are not in agreement," Clarke said. "But the farther east, the better."
Temperatures in the state will range from highs of 88 degrees to 90 degrees to lows in the upper 60s and lower 70s, he said.
With all the moisture in the air, "it's going to be fairly muggy," Clark said. "Being by a pool won't be a bad thing."
The rain already has played havoc with the Arkansas Department of Transportation plans to reopen a newly widened 17.5-mile section of U.S. 70 between Benton and Hot Springs, the latter being one of the most popular tourist destinations in the state.
On Wednesday morning, the department announced it would open all five lanes to traffic before the Memorial Day weekend. Hours later, the agency announced it would not happen.
"Next week, it will happen," said Danny Straessle, the department spokesman.
Work on the $78.5 million project began in January 2017. In addition to widening the highway from two lanes with some passing lanes and reconstructing four bridges, the project also straightened highway curves, flattened ditch slopes, eliminated limited-length passing lanes and installed a traffic signal at Arkansas 128 in a bid to improve the safety of the route.
Steve Arrison, chief executive officer of Visit Hot Springs, said that while the city looks forward to the route reopening as a five-lane highway, it wasn't fretting over the delay.
"What's one more weekend," he said. "It has been a little more difficult to get here, especially from Little Rock, but business has been great. The highway department also has done a great job. They are way ahead of schedule."
Metro on 05/24/2018