AAA: July 4 weekend travel expected to increase 2 percent

NEW YORK (AP) -- Highways will be packed once again this July Fourth weekend, with 41 million Americans expected to travel at least 50 miles or more.<br /> <br /> That's up about 2 percent from the 40.3 million who traveled during last year's Independence Day weekend, according to auto club AAA.<br /> <br /> The calendar is helping to push up the number of vacationers. The holiday falls on a Friday this year, making it an easy three-day weekend for many travelers.<br /> <br /> Another factor cited by AAA in the expected uptick in travel is a "steady" improvement in the economy along with increased consumer spending and confidence.<br /> <br /> As usual, the vast majority of travelers will be using their cars: 85 percent. Gas currently costs $3.68 a gallon, up nearly 13 cents from the same time last year. That means a family driving 200 miles on highways will pay about 75 cents more in total for their holiday gas this year.<br /> <br /> In Georgia, AAA expects 992,621 to hit the road and travel 50+ miles from home over the holiday weekend. Another 85,615 will be traveling by plane and another 66,990 by other means.<br /> <br /> (AccessNorthGa.com's Ken Stanford contributed to this story.)