Independence Day travel projected heaviest in years

There will be ample road and air travel as fireworks burst in the sky this week.

AAA predicts 70.9 million Americans will travel 50-plus miles during the June 29-July 7 Independence Day period, 3.5 million more than last year. That includes 4.5 million Floridians, of whom 3.9 will drive and 324,000 will fly.

“The summer travel season is off to a hot start,” AAA Vice President Debbie Haas said. “We expect to set new travel records on the road and in the sky.”

Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando are among the top 10 domestic destinations nationally for July 4 travelers.

– Drew Dixon, Florida Politics