MADISON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – With new health guidelines saying people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can ditch their face masks in most situations, Americans are ready to hit the road for Memorial Day weekend. The only roadblock for some will be the price of gas.
GasBuddy predicts the price of gas will decline a bit by the holiday weekend. However, the forecast national average of $2.98 per gallon would be $1.02 higher than last year and the highest Memorial Day weekend average since 2014, when it was $3.66.
The cyberattack on the Colonial Pipeline, which carries gasoline through 10 states between Texas and New Jersey, caused gas shortages in the Southeast and pushed prices up. Gas began flowing again by mid-month, with prices expected to stabilize by Memorial Day.
“Be warned that a rebound may happen as we approach midsummer, should gasoline demand rise to near-record levels,” Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said in a news release.
The numbers are clear: people are itching to travel as the nation recovers from Covid-19 but are frustrated with some of the highest holiday weekend gas prices in quite some time,” De Haan said. “Gas prices have been increasing for months due to the continued rise in gasoline demand as a myriad of destinations reopen ahead of the summer driving season. The Colonial Pipeline shutdown only highlighted how much more reliant consumers have become on gasoline since the pandemic hit. Drivers don’t need to worry too much though, as there is an end in sight. Prices should ease up ahead of the holiday, mainly in areas where the pipeline challenges were most severe.
Besides gas prices, COVID-19 is the other key factor impacting plans this summer. Thirty-nine percent of survey respondents said they are not traveling internationally because of the pandemic. However, 36% said their plans have not been impacted at all. Another 39% said they planned to take long trips in their vehicles to avoid flying. They plan to drive as far as 500 miles.
The most popular destinations for road trips, according to AAA’s research, are Las Vegas; Orlando, Florida; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Denver and Nashville.
If your road trip takes you through Chicago, AAA says to prepare for delays. The worst delay is expected to be on Interstate 290 west between Morgan Street and Wolf Road between 2:45 and 4:45 p.m. Thursday.
And be sure to buckle up while you’re on the road. There will be extra law enforcement eyes on your seat belt as part of the Click It or Ticket campaign.
