Gas prices hit their summer peak of $2.6925 on June 21, but drivers could soon be paying more than that if prices continue inching upward. With fewer motorists on the road now, motorists typically get a break on prices.

Despite persistently low demand, prices for gasoline have spiked over the past week along with crude oil, threatening one of the very few points of relief for the recession-stricken U.S. consumer: cheap gas. Prices have risen for three straight weeks, reaching a national average of $2.574 per gallon of unleaded regular, the Energy Information Administration said yesterday.

“You can’t stew in it,“ says one Richmond resident who lost his job at Qimonda in February but is trying to stay positive. An employer says this year is even more frustrating than the last.

Surge in crude prices during the past few months and less production from the refiners that make gasoline has added pressure on prices.

Oil and gasoline prices continued a recession-defying march higher yesterday, doubling in the past six months largely on optimism of a strengthening economy. The predictions for just how high oil can reach this year, just like 2008, continue to creep upward just five months removed from crude priced around $32 per barrel. Benchmark crude for July delivery rose $1.23 to settle at $66.31 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Central Virginians will likely see gasoline prices reach a dime or more over $2 a gallon this weekend, industry officials said. But the cost at the pump is still down significantly from this time last year.

The price of a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline in Virginia has topped $2 for the first time since November.

Gasoline prices are expected to be relatively low this summer, so motorists might want to take to the road despite the dismal economy if the federal government projections hold. The Energy Information Administration said regular-grade gasoline is expected to average $2.23 a gallon during the April-through-September driving season, although it will likely fluctuate and could jump to more than $2.30 a gallon during the peak driving period in late summer.

Fueled in part by strengthening U.S. market conditions, rising crude oil prices have been gradually pushing up gasoline prices toward $2 a gallon in Richmond and the nation. “It looks like we’re going to stretch our heads above the $2 retail level,“ said John C. Zehler Jr., president of Virginia Fuels Inc., a Mechanicsville-based gasoline wholesaler.