PITTSTON -- It's one of the busiest travel days of the year.
AAA is predicting record high travel volumes for this Fourth of July week.
This year AAA is predicting more people from our area will be going away for the holiday than in the past 10 years.
We spoke with travelers Friday about why they're hitting the road this holiday.
The Fourth of July travel is underway, and the highways were jammed with vacationers.
AAA has predicted that locally more than 55 thousand travelers will be getting away this year.
It's the highest number since 2007.
“That`s because of the Wednesday holiday. You have the option of having two weekdays in a weekend on your vacation,” said Carol Rosser, AAA Senior Associate.
At a travel center near Pittston in Luzerne county, there wasn't an empty pump to be found.
Ron Conger of California has traveled across the country to visit family, and said the Wednesday holiday is extending his trip a bit.
“I think so, yes, we`re going to be there through the Fourth of July and then stay through the following weekend to visit more friends,” said Conger.
Many Fourth of July travelers said having the holiday in the middle of the week is helping them extend their vacation, but they also said that the gas prices are making all of the difference.
“In Pennsylvania the fuel is the cheapest than anywhere we`ve been,” said Leonard Masuer of Ohio.
“It`s the busiest on this route that I`ve ever experienced going to and from Connecticut this weekend. I`ve gone Christmas, I`ve gone Thanksgiving, but this just for some reason is busier and I think it`s because gas is lower,” said Rosanna Dimartino of Latrobe.
About 84% of people across the nation are expected to travel by car and drive about 700 miles round trip.
With gas prices about a dollar lower than they were this time last year it's making it easier to take it easy and escape to that summer vacation.
With a record number of drivers on the road this weekend, state police said it's also important to obey all of the speed limits and drive defensively. The Fourth of July weekend can be one of the deadliest on the roads.