Travel will be in full swing on July 4; prepare for congested roads

Adrienne Oglesby and Channing King

9 minutes ago

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — If you’re one of the roughly 25 percent of Americans who head out of town for the Fourth of July, be prepared.

Whether it’s a flight, train, car or cruise ship, holiday travel is back.

“The recovery in travel finally seems to be happening, but it took us nearly four years to get there,” said AAA’s Andrew Gross.

Since the vast majority of Ohio’s 3.3 million residents spending the holidays away from home will be traveling by car, you can expect congested roads and highways.

“I know I sound like every other dad in America right now, but you need to get moving,” said AAA’s Andrew Gross. “Go ahead and hit the road as soon as possible because you’re going to have a lot of company.”

AAA’s Bill Purpura said Wednesday, July 3, is expected to be very rainy from afternoon to mid-evening. But just as what goes up must come down, what goes out of town must (usually) come back.

For this reason, AAA urges people to be careful on Sunday, July 7, for all return traffic.

If you drive, you can expect to pay more at the pump.

It’s all relative: While Ohio gas prices have now surpassed the national average, they may still be cheaper than what you’ll find in some of your destinations. You’ll likely find higher prices in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois, where the average price is $3.85 per gallon.

You’ll find cheaper gas in West Virginia and Kentucky, where the average price is $3.32.

Many drivers are unhappy with the continued rise in gasoline prices.

“I feel broke because the prices keep going up,” said Dayton resident Pamela Cole.