PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt is visiting Rhode Island on Monday to tour the Washington Bridge while local officials test a new traffic pattern aimed at alleviating congestion.

It’s the first weekday commute after the R.I. Department of Transportation (RIDOT) reduced the number of lanes on I-195 West from three to two near the East Shore Expressway entrance in East Providence.

RIDOT said traffic modeling conducted by engineers showed that creating a merge at that point of the highway should reduce travel time.

Read more from Melanie DaSilva at wpri.com.