The Fourth of July is now just four days away — and that means plenty will be happening around the region this week, including road closures and parking restrictions.

Every year the National Park Service highly recommends taking public transportation to see the fireworks on the National Mall. If you are driving, expect huge crowds and very limited parking.

The best bet for drivers may be to park at a Metro station and take the train. The closest Metro stops to the mall are the Smithsonian and Federal Triangle stations on the Orange and Blue lines, as well as the Archives/Navy Memorial and L’Enfant Plaza stations on the Yellow and Green lines.

The Independence Day Parade is this Friday and runs from about noon until 2 p.m. That will shut down Constitution Avenue between Seventh and 17th streets NW.

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As for the fireworks on the National Mall, they are set to go off between 9:10 and 9:30 Friday night. The National Park Service recommends these spots to catch the show: the U.S. Capitol, Lincoln Memorial, National Mall between 14th Street and the U.S. Capitol, FDR Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, White House Ellipse, West Potomac Park, East Potomac Park, Anacostia Park, Marine Corps Memorial, and George Washington Memorial Parkway across the Potomac River in Virginia.

HOV RULES

There is something good that comes from the Fourth of July falling on a Friday this year: High-occupancy vehicle rules will be lifted in Virginia. Remember, however, that HOV rules are always in effect in Maryland.

I-95 WIDENING

Be aware that the Virginia Department of Transportation plans to close down one of the HOV lanes between Lorton Road and the Fairfax County Parkway this week. The right lane will be closed between Exit 166, Fairfax County Parkway (Route 7100), and Exit 160, Woodbridge (Route 123), from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday. Groundwork is taking place.