"You can get some great deals on airfare right now," Van Curen said.
HOV LANES
The High Occupancy Vehicle lane schedule on I-95/395 will vary from the usual times this weekend.
HOV lanes will be southbound Thursday from noon to 9 p.m. with the three-occupant minimum restrictions at rush hour.
The lanes will reverse and run northbound from 11 p.m. Thursday to Saturday at 8 p.m. All HOV restrictions will be lifted Friday.
However, HOV lanes will run southbound starting at 9:30 p.m. Saturday and stay southbound until Sunday at 1 a.m. as people depart Washington's festivities on the National Mall. The lanes will open to northbound traffic at 3 a.m. Sunday and stay northbound through Monday's morning rush hour.
WEATHER
Fourth of July weekend will start with highs in the upper 80s on Friday and mostly sunny skies, according to the National Weather Service. The Fourth of July forecast predicts cloudy skies with a high around 90, and a 30 percent chance of precipitation.
Sunday will be 86 degrees and sunny.
SAFETY
With so many vehicles on the road, the Fourth of July can be a dangerous time of year to drive.
Ten people were killed in traffic crashes over the four-day Fourth of July holiday last year in Virginia, and 179 people were injured.
Virginia State Police are launching an enforcement campaign for drunken driving this weekend, and police will be on patrol for other offenses, too. Last year state police wrote 7,943 citations for speeding during the Fourth of July holiday, along with 2,077 citations for reckless driving, 808 citations for seat belt violations, and 153 citations for DUIs.
A reminder: It's now illegal in Virginia to operate a moving motor vehicle and send or read text messages from a wireless device.
GAS PRICES
Here's something to celebrate. On the last Fourth of July, a gallon of gas in Virginia cost $3.97.
On Monday, gas prices averaged $2.52 a gallon in Virginia and $2.64 a gallon nationally.
Prices in the Fredericksburg area are even lower.
A Wawa gas station at 275 Butler Road in Stafford was selling the cheapest gas in the area at noon yesterday at $2.24 a gallon.
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