Those traveling during this extended Fourth of July weekend will find lower fuel costs than a year ago and some road construction work halted.
About 37.1 million Americans will travel this weekend versus 37.8 million Americans traveling last year at this time, according to the American Automobile Association office in Chicago.
However, the number of Indiana and Illinois residents taking trips 50 or more miles from home will remain about the same as last year, according to AAA projections.
In Indiana, AAA estimates 685,000 people will start vacations this weekend, and most will drive. In Illinois, nearly 1.7 million people are expected to travel over the Fourth of July holiday.
Gas prices are about 34 percent lower than July 4, 2008, although there have been some increases in Illinois since the Memorial Day weekend.
On Thursday, gas prices in the Chicago metro area were $2.84. That's up from $2.78 around the Memorial Day holiday. Last July 4th, gas prices in the Chicago area were $4.24.
In Northwest Indiana, regular unleaded gas is about 2 cents cheaper than it was a month ago. In 2008, gas was averaging $4.17 per gallon.
For more information about gas prices around the nation, go to www.fuelgaugereport.com.
Drivers will find some lane restrictions eased and some road construction projects stopped in the two Midwest states.
The Indiana Department of Transportation halted all maintenance and most construction projects starting at noon Thursday until sunrise Monday, although work zones will remain intact.
Southbound Interstate 65 between Ind. 2 and Ind. 10 will reopen to two travel lanes for this weekend. Northbound I-65 through this area will remain restricted to one lane. Motorists won't be able to use Ind. 43 to U.S. 421 as an alternate to northbound I-65 this weekend.
However, INDOT announced that Interstate 80/94 between the Illinois state line and I-65 will be restricted to two lanes in each direction from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 6 through late July. This allows crews to install raised pavement markers.
Work is subject to change in inclement weather.
For more information about Indiana road conditions, log on to www.in.gov/indot.
All lane restrictions were removed on the Indiana Toll Road through Monday.
Toll road construction will resume in the evening and overnight Monday.
The Indiana State Police said that work zone restrictions will remain in place and enforced in these areas.
The IDOT also has suspended some construction-related closures around the state until midnight Sunday.
But the department says that some projects will continue and there may be road workers on the job during this holiday weekend. IDOT is advising motorists to comply with the posted speed limit of 45 mph in work zones.
For the latest information on Illinois road construction, go to www.gettingaroundillinois.com.
Air travel is expected to see a nearly 5 percent increase this holiday, says Brad Roeber, AAA Chicago's regional president.
But computer malfunctions left at least 1,000 United Airlines passengers playing the waiting game in long, slow-moving lines Thursday morning at O'Hare International Airport.
Although the airline's computers were up and running again by noon, the problem involved all of United's computers at O'Hare and caused long delays and some cancellations. Planes lined up on the airport's tarmac, unable to leave, while new flights arrived.
O'Hare is the hub for the Chicago-based United Airlines. The computer problems had a ripple affect, causing delays at other U.S. airports.
-- The Associated Press contributed to this report.
