Gas prices down 7.3 cents a gallon in Mo. ahead of holiday

Gas prices are falling as travel is expected to pick up over the Labor Day holiday weekend.

Missouri gas prices have dropped 7.3 cents in the past week and are now 18 cents per gallon lower than a month ago, according to gasoline price website MissouriGasPrices.com. The average gas price in Missouri is currently $2.431, according to AAA's Fuel Gauge Report.

AAA expects the number of Americans traveling this Labor Day weekend will be 9.9 percent more than last year, with about 34.4 million travelers taking a trip at least 50 miles away from home. The increase in travel for Labor Day may be the result of economic improvement during the past year, according to AAA.

Gas prices in Cape Girardeau currently range from $2.31 to $2.39 per gallon.