HERMON – Gas prices dipped below the $4-per-gallon threshold at a handful of eastern Maine locations beginning Friday, including the Country Market on U.S. Route 2, where motorists on Saturday waited in lengthy lines.

“It’s hard to imagine being excited about $3.89 a gallon, but here we are,” said one driver waiting for his turn at the pump late Saturday morning.

As the price of crude oil has dropped by nearly $15 per barrel in recent days, speculators have wondered whether the decrease would translate at the gas pump.

On Friday, at least in Maine, it finally did. Among the lowest prices were in Newport, where gas at the Irving station on Moosehead Trail and the Valero station at the intersection of Elm and Main streets were both listed at $3.84 per gallon of 87 octane unleaded.

At the Irving station, the price dropped to $3.81 on Sunday.

Several other stations in Newport, Bangor, Hermon and other towns had prices lower than $4, according to the Web site tracker www.mainegasprices.com, which relies on volunteer s to post prices.

The lower prices were not evident everywhere, though. Several stations in Calais still listed a price of $4.29 per gallon for regular unleaded. Other areas in southern Maine also reported prices well over $4.

One year ago, the average price in Maine was right around $3 a gallon, but it has been several weeks since prices were consistently below the $4 barrier.

Motorists welcome any downward trend.

“You want to be able to drive places this time of year, whether it’s to the beach or to visit, but it’s getting harder and harder,” said another customer in Hermon.

The national average for regular unleaded gasoline is about $4.09, according to AAA, with Alaska ($4.67) featuring the highest state average and South Carolina ($3.89) seeing the lowest.

erussell@bangordailynews.net

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