By Anita Baffoni WPRO News

A $226 million plan aims to reduce congestion on I-95 North in downtown Providence. The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) unveiled the new plan Thursday and Director Peter Alviti says it’s expected to reduce congestion by 87 percent.

“This is an area of Providence and the state that is one of the most congested,” Alviti said.

The merge of Routes 6 and 10, Atwells Avenue and Memorial Boulevard next to the Providence Place Mall creates one of the most dreaded convergence for the 200,000 vehicles that drive through that corridor each day. The viaduct, now more than 50-years-old, was originally designed to handle 57,000 vehicles daily.

“That weave that happens there of people trying to exit the highway at the same time of people trying getting on the highway causes congestion particularly on Route 6 and 10 that backs up well onto the route 6 10 corridor,” Alviti said.

Now that the southbound I-95 bridge is replaced, the old bridge that still stands will be utilized to carry traffic during construction to reduce traffic delays. The project is set to be complete in 2021.

The RIDOT is seeking $59 million in a federal grant with the remaining $167 million already in hand, according to Alviti.

The new project will have lanes dedicated to traffic that will be moving north on 95 and will have separate lanes for traffic that enters from Routes 6 and 10, Memorial Boulevard and Atwells Avenue.

“It will eliminate a lot the confusion and conflict that goes on with traffic trying to cross each other and will solve the congestion problem,” Alviti said.

He said the DOT will know if they are awarded the full $59 million by the federal government by the end of this month.

The Dean Street ramp reconstruction is also part of this project.