Robots in disguise will likely alter your commute for the next few days as filming for the third installment of the Transformers film franchise takes over the Magnificent Mile.
Michigan Avenue between Wacker Drive and Ontario Street will close Thursday night and will remain shut down through 5 a.m. on Monday, July 19.
Ohio Street will be open for local access only on northbound Michigan Avenue. Lower Michigan Avenue will be available to vehicles and pedestrians until Friday, July 16 at 8 p.m.
Chicago Transit Authority buses will be rerouted during the closure. TransitChicago.com will have up-to-date details and schedule information.
Crews on the Michael Bay-directed film will be filming in the traffic circle north of the Michigan Avenue bridge and surrounded by the Wrigley Building, 401 N. Michigan Ave., and Pioneer Court, the movie's location managers said in a release.
All businesses within the closure on Michigan Avenue will remain open during the filming, with crews assisting employees and shoppers with getting to their destinations.
A portion of the north side of the River Walk will also be closed. The south side of the River Walk will be open for pedestrians and for access to the tour boats and water taxis.
The production of Transformers 3 in Chicago, announced last month, is expected to bring more than 200 jobs to the city. Since 1989, 900 films and TV productions have contributed more than 275,000 jobs and $1.6 billion to the local economy.
Mayor Richard Daley said he hopes the exposure the city will get through the movie will be a boon to the tourism industry.
"It's free publicity for us," he said last month.
