PROVIDENCE — There's more than a hint of irony in the updated traffic figures for the Washington Bridge provided by state officials last week after they were forced to make dramatic alterations upon the abrupt closure of the structurally deficient westbound side late last year.

It's from that direction where times are just about back to their average pre-shutdown. It's from the easterly side, its newer more modern span having been split into six lanes going each way to accommodate the sudden shuttering, where motorists continue to see a spike in the amount of congestion.

Rhode Island Department of Transportation Director Peter Alviti said his division continues to seek ways to make traffic flows on the Washington Bridge better and they have for sure heading west. It's the opposite side now that's the problem.

The director made those comments and more during a media engagement held Tuesday, July 9, in Providence, where he along with Gov. Dan McKee provided a broader update on the westbound side reconstruction project.

On traffic flows, specifically, Alviti gave the press and the public an overview, like the one he regularly gives the governor and other top officials, of the recent trends.

The director said DOT's "first and foremost concerns begin and end with public anxieties and inconveniences" created by the closure now some seven months ago.

And that there remains "urgency for us to find solutions quickly and to rebuild the bridge" just as rapidly.

However, since the eastbound side of the bridge was converted into three lanes going in each direction about four months ago, Alviti said traffic times have been "brought down close to what they were previous" to the December 2023 shuttering of the westbound side. The number of accidents, as well, are about the same as before.

The almost torturous congestion before the east side conversion has been nearly eradicated, but there are still meaningful delays, especially around school arrival and departure times. At the moment, of course, those are considerably less due to summer vacation.

Alviti added even with continued focus on improving traffic flows and reducing the possibility of accidents, it's "not the same as giving Rhode Islanders a new bridge that they need."

Still, when the numbers are delved into, they're quite striking. The irony comes when looking at westbound figures, which have returned down to just about where they were when McKee ordered the four-land span shut down on December 11, 2023.

That direction, now with three lanes as opposed to the initial two, has dropped the times basically back to pre-closure measures.

It's the east side of the bridge, which went from four lanes to three, where traffic remains a bit of a nuisance.

Alviti said during the morning rush hour, traffic has gotten markedly better overall. From Interstate 95 North to I-195 East, Alviti, speaking over charts, said there is a five-minute differential with schools open and closed between pre- and post-closure of the bridge.

From 95 South to 195 East, the differential during the same span is about 5-10 minutes with either schools opened or closed.

It's worse in the afternoon. Even with schools out, times for motorists merging from both I-95 North and South at confluence of motorists on the I-Way Bridge remain anywhere from 5-15 minutes above pre-closure standards at peak hours.

From 95 North it's consistently been five minutes. From 95 South, it reached as high as 10 minutes more, but Alviti said it's been cut closer to five, though it remains on average about that from the north.

"We're working on that," Alviti said of the merge point heading east. "That's the one where we're working on to bringing those actual times back down."

The director said RIDOT is seeking the input from traffic engineers, who are modeling ways to potentially change or alter patterns on and around the bridge.

As for volume, the average number of cars driving over the bridge in each direction are about 80,000 per, which is pretty close to how many motorists used the spans prior.

"This shows people are assuming the same travel patterns as they did before the bridge closure," Alviti noted.

And as for accidents, the director said the figure show "we're doing well." Part of the reason could be the reduced rate of speed, 40 miles per hour, implemented by RIDOT and the Rhode Island State Police upon the dividing of the east side structure.

Eastbound, he said the number of accidents are equal to or less than before. On the westside, the number is actually consistently lees than prior to bridge closure.

Alviti noted as well that the accidents are the "largely non-injury" type. Most are either side-swipes or rear-ends and again are occurring more often at the I-Way merge from 95 North and South.