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Affordable Gas Prices Fueling Ozarks Travel

Thomas McFarland
/
KSMU
Fuel prices at Kum & Go on Kimbrough and Elm in Springfield on June 30th 2015

As Independence Day approaches, many Missourians are expected to take advantage of low gas prices for the holiday weekend.

Michael Right is the vice president of Public Affairs with AAA and covers the Ozarks region. He expects a memorable travel season.

“It’s going to be one of the busiest Fourth of July holiday periods we have seen in about, almost a decade,” says Right.

Fuel prices in Missouri are down from a $3.51 per gallon average at this time last year, to around a $2.50 per gallon average this year, according to Right. And this is impressive compared to the national average.

“Missourians are enjoying one of the lowest state wide gasoline prices than any other state in the nation.”

What does this mean for upcoming travel holidays? Likely more of the same, says Right, with travel levels returning to those from before the recession.

“We had a serious drought in travel associated with the recession and that’s pretty much gone by the way now, so we’ve starting to accumulate more vehicle miles of travel,” Right says.

With more Missourians on the road and more vehicles on the road, Right recommends keeping your vehicle in tip top travel shape with regular observation. He says always check your tires for proper inflation, inspect your battery terminals, and concentrate on “Making time good instead of making good time.”

For more information, including MODOT travel information maps with current construction zones, click here