Because Independence Day is Saturday, the holiday will be observed by city, county, state and federal offices and courts Friday, when all will be closed.

Post Offices will be open Friday, but many will shorten retail lobby hours. Regular mail delivery for Friday will not be affected, but no mail will be delivered Saturday.

Port Authority will operate normal weekday service Friday and on a holiday schedule Saturday and Sunday. But two-car trains will be used on the Light Rail Transit system on Saturday to accommodate the Downtown fireworks display. Extra buses are scheduled to operate Saturday evening. Also, a bus shuttle will operate between the Mon Incline stations starting at 7 p.m. to augment incline service. The fireworks display starts at 9:35 p.m. Downtown.

State liquor stores will be open Friday but closed Saturday.

Garbage pickup in the city will not be affected by the holiday.

Despite gasoline prices that are roughly $1.40 per gallon lower than last year's, AAA is predicting that fewer motorists will take to the highways for the holiday weekend.

Those who do will enjoy a respite from some of the road construction in the region.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and Pennsylvania Turnpike are suspending most construction work for the weekend.

The turnpike ordered its contractors to have all lanes open until 6 a.m. Tuesday. The turnpike expects 2 million vehicles across its system from today through Monday. Peak travel times will be tonight and Sunday afternoon and evening.

Real-time information about turnpike travel conditions is available from the Turnpike Roadway Information Program by visiting www.paturnpike.com or calling 1-866-976-TRIP (8747).

PennDOT won't close lanes on the parkways this weekend, but some major-project restrictions will remain in place, spokesman David Pritt said.

That includes the northbound closure of Route 28 at Etna, a single-lane inbound closure on the Parkway East from the turnpike to near the Penn Hills interchange, restrictions on Steubenville Pike at the Parkway West and full closure of the westbound McKees Rocks Bridge.

Those who stay in the Pittsburgh area should enjoy a mostly dry, although somewhat cool, weekend, once today's showers and thunderstorms are out of the way.

The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh says Friday will be mostly cloudy, with a high near 73 and only a slight chance of showers.

Independence Day is expected to be partly sunny, with a high near 76. Sunday will be partly sunny, with a high near 79.