EAST PROVIDENCE — As expected with the shock announcement the day prior by the Rhode Island Department of Transportation to immediately close the structurally deficient westbound side of the Washington Bridge, the main artery connecting the East Bay with the rest of the state, the rush hour in and around East Providence Tuesday morning, Dec. 12, was a calamity.

Streets throughout the city were clogged to capacity as motorists, both from East Providence and surrounding communities, attempted to gain access to the Henderson Bridge in an effort to cross the Seekonk River to reach the East Side of Providence and beyond.

As a reminder, the reconstruction of the actual Henderson Bridge span, itself, was just completed some three weeks ago. That project, unlike the Washington Bridge, was completed on schedule and without any meaningful impact to drivers.

RIDOT Director Peter Alviti said during the closure announcement Monday temporary repairs to the westbound side of Washington Bridge could take as long as three months to remedy.

In addition, Alviti said an effort to create westerly lanes on the east side of the bridge to make it serviceable in the interim would take up to two weeks to implement.

Of major significance at the moment due to the impact of the Washington Bridge situation, Emergency Services vehicles were hindered in their efforts to assists residents in need of immediate medical attention while school buses were mired in the congestion attempting to reach their destinations.

Reports from residents and drivers within East Providence noted ridiculous amounts of time needed to reach the closest of destinations.

It was taking an hour or more to get from the north and south ends to the center of the city, usually a five-to-10 minute drive at the most even during rush hour. Walkers were outpacing struck traffic.

And the snarls were not limited to just those going due west. Inbound traffic to East Providence, especially, and eastbound traffic on Interstate 195, in general, also dealt with delays.

In response, the state officials, including Gov. Dan McKee who was absent publicly during Monday's bridge closure announcement, were scheduled to gather with their East Providence counterparts around noontime Tuesday to discuss the situation.

The East Providence City Council was holding an emergency session Tuesday afternoon at 5 p.m. at City Hall. Of note as well, the topic was likely to be discussed in some form at the monthly East Providence School Committee forum set for the high school auditorium at 6 p.m.