Routine maintenance work will temporarily close the right lane of Interstate 20 East at the Delhi interchange, about 40 miles west of Vicksburg, until 2 p.m. today, said Mississippi Department of Transportation district 3 engineer Kevin Magee in conjunction with Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.

He said the lane will be closed for about two miles, and traffic delays are expected.

This will not affect westbound traffic and it is not related to the current construction work on the westbound lane of I-20 at the Mississippi River Bridge, which has contributed to delays in Vicksburg for the past week.

Magee said his office anticipates traffic delays in Vicksburg until Friday morning after contractors complete work to improve the bridge’s expansion capabilities.

Contractors covered freshly poured cement with heavy plates on the bridge last week. The plates are scheduled to be lifted as late as Friday morning.

“The lane configuration has been the same, but traffic has just been moving slower this last week,” Magee said.

The construction project on the bridge has been ongoing for eight months and is scheduled to be completed by March.