Gas prices continued to fall as millions of Americans hit the road for the three-day weekend.
Many people stopped to fill-up in Branford, after getting an early start on Saturday.
“I left at four o’clock this morning to beat the traffic,” said Jessica Newhouse, who was traveling to Cape Cod from Philadelphia.
“Leaving early so to avoid that but I’m sure will catch up with us later,” said Carrie Hammond, of Fairfield, who was headed to Block Island.
Most people NBC Connecticut spoke to said they were headed to Cape Cod. Newport and Block Island were also popular choices.
About 1.6 million people were expected to be on the roads in New England over Labor Day weekend. Of the 35-million people expected to travel this weekend, 85 percent will do so by car, according to AAA.
While no one we spoke to said gas prices influenced their decision to hit the road this holiday, many did notice the lower prices at the pump.
“They’re doing ok compared to years in the past,” Matthew McBride, of Boston, said.
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“They’re a lot lower this year than last year,” Marc Gordon, of Bethany, added.
“It’s wonderful definitely want to venture out and take advantage of that while we can,” Hammond pointed out.
Some out-of-state travelers also noticed that it costs more to fill up in Connecticut than it does back home.
“Still much higher than we have in Brooklyn,” said Michael Pogretskiy.
“They’re very cheap in New Jersey,” added Blanch House.
“I just noticed it’s higher in here than it was in town in Philadelphia,” said Newhouse.
At $2.41 a gallon Saturday morning, the national average for gas was the lowest since Labor Day weekend in 2004. Connecticut’s gas averaged $2.56.
Newhouse said the higher price at the pump wasn’t the only reason she wished she could avoid Connecticut.
“It’s always under construction and there’s just so many bottlenecks. I do this drive a lot and Connecticut is always the worst spot for me,” she said.
Still, gas is the lowest the state has seen in seven years for Labor Day weekend, leaving travelers with a little extra spending money this holiday.
