The relocated Vandebrook Drive in Waterloo may open to traffic at the end of the day on Friday as part of the ongoing Route 3 improvement project, an Illinois Department of Transportation engineer told the Republic-Times on Monday.

There will be plenty of paving taking place this week on the southern end of Route 3 near South Market Street and Vandebrook Drive, IDOT said, resulting in “major delays” during the day while traffic is reduced to one lane with flaggers.

Drivers on Vandebrook Drive will need to reduce their speed and drive carefully as transition work from the old road to the new road is completed this week, IDOT said. If things go as scheduled, IDOT is looking at having new Vandebrook Drive open at the traffic signals at South Market Street at the end of the day this Friday. Once the new road is opened, the old road will be closed immediately at Route 3.

Some small additional efforts (rock shoulders, final dirt grading and seeding) will remain as workers complete that phase of the Route 3 project over the next two months.

As for the larger Route 3 bypass project in Waterloo, IDOT said the contractor will begin removing the southbound shoulder and continue dirt work on the west side of Route 3 during the coming weeks.