Aug 30, 2017 3 min read

Labor Day is near, and so are higher gasoline prices in the region – especially in Washington.

“Between the tropical storm and holiday weekend, we’re projecting a 5- to 15-cent rise,” said Jim Garrity, spokesman for AAA East Central’s main office in East Liberty.

Harvey, the heaviest rainstorm ever in the continental United States, is contributing significantly to that equation by knocking refinery operations offline in the Texas Gulf Coast and disturbing shipping channels. Offshore production there provides 17 percent of national crude oil production. Gasoline is a crude byproduct.

“The availability of supplies will depend on damage that may have occurred,” Mark Green, energy editor of American Petroleum Institute, said in a blog, referring to the havoc the hurricane-turned-tropical storm has wreaked.

Combine this diminished supply of petrol with an increased demand for it during the extended Labor Day weekend, and – voila – you have price bumps at the pump.

That demand, according to the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, will be formidable. The commission said Wednesday it expects 3.5 million motorists to use the Turnpike over the next six days – today through Tuesday.

But even though fuel price hikes are likely, Garrity said they may not be excessive. “After the summer, demand typically drops off,” he said. “We had a glut in the (oil) market. We’re not projecting huge spikes because of the glut.”

He said Wednesday morning that the national average for a gallon of gasoline was $2.40, a 5-cent jump from last Friday. The Western Pennsylvania figure was $2.60.4.

AAA on Wednesday provided averages for 22 cities and towns in Western Pennsylvania, and one that is usually recognized for having modest gas prices most assuredly did not.

Washington had the highest average of the 22 towns – $2.66.3. That was less than a cent above Beaver ($2.65.5) and Jeannette ($2.65.4), which had the second- and third-highest figures. Pittsburgh ($2.64.2) was fourth.

Washington’s per-gallon price was 15.6 cents higher than Sharon, which had the lowest, $2.50.7. Uniontown ($2.59.9) was near the middle of the grouping.

Holiday travel may be less petrol-friendly over the upcoming week, but the Turnpike Commission pledges to minimize the hassle on its statewide highway. Chief Executive Officer Mark Compton said in a prepared statement that maintenance and construction projects have not been scheduled during the six-day period, and that “all lanes are slated to be open.”

Those lanes could be jammed the next two days. The commission projected that 670,000 vehicles will be traveling on the Turnpike today, and 750,000 on Friday – the largest volumes of traffic expected during the holiday period.

To enhance the upcoming travel experience, Gov. Tom Wolf is urging would-be commuters to visit the “Historic Holiday Traffic” page at www.511PA.com. It is compatible with mobile devices and provides information such as traffic speeds on the Friday before Labor Day and the holiday itself in 2015 and 2016, compared with traffic conditions during a non-holiday week.