SPRINGFIELD -- The Massachusetts Department of Transportation announced Tuesday that it will continue to close a single lane of Interstate 91 North and South from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 8 and Wednesday, Dec. 9.

MassDOT said these closures are required for survey work and sign installation on the 2.5-mile-long viaduct that carries the interstate over downtown Springfield.

Contractors will place signs directing traffic around the lane closures. No detours are required. Drivers should expect delays.

The work this week will prepare the I-91 for anticipated traffic volumes during the upcoming major construction phase of the $183.3 million rehabilitation project on the highway. Major work, including long-term lane closures, are expected to begin about the first of January.

Also tonight, MassDOT is hosting a public meeting on the in-progress construction is set for 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield.

For more information about the project, visit the MassDOT website at www.mass.gov.