11/18/05
Ten CTA bus routes will be detoured off North Michigan Avenue Saturday, November 19, for the annual Magnificent Mile Lights Festival. The festival motorcade parade is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. from Rush and Oak and will travel south on Michigan from Oak to Wacker. There will be a fireworks show following the parade between the Michigan and Columbus bridges over the Chicago River.
Michigan Avenue will be closed to traffic in both directions between Oak and Randolph starting at 4:30 p.m. and is expected to reopen at approximately 8 p.m.
The bus routes affected by the parade are the #3 King Drive, #6 Jackson Park Express, #10 Museum of Science & Industry, #66 Chicago, #124 Navy Pier, #145 Wilson/Michigan Express, #146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express, #147 Outer Drive Express, #151 Sheridan, and #173 University of Chicago/Lakeview Express. Affected buses will be detoured to streets adjacent to the parade route.
Northbound #3 buses will operate via Michigan, Randolph, Dearborn, Illinois, Columbus, Fairbanks to Ohio/McClurg where they will begin southbound trips via McClurg, Ontario, Fairbanks, Columbus, Randolph, back to Michigan, then resume the regular route.
Northbound #6 buses will operate via Michigan, Randolph, Dearborn, Wacker to State where they will begin southbound trips on the regular route.
Northbound #10 buses will operate via State, Wacker and Dearborn, ending their trips at Dearborn/Chicago where they will begin southbound trips via Clark, Wacker, back to State, then resume the regular route.
Eastbound #66 buses will operate via Chicago, LaSalle and Illinois to Navy Pier where they will begin westbound trips via Grand, Dearborn and Chicago, then resume the regular route.
Northbound #124 Navy Pier buses will operate via Washington, Dearborn, Illinois to Fairbanks, then resume their regular route. Southbound buses will operate via Grand, Clark, Wacker, State, Madison, then resume their regular route.
Northbound #145, #146, #147, and #151 buses will operate in both directions via State, Wacker, Clark/Dearborn and LaSalle before returning to their regular routes.
Northbound #173 buses will operate via Michigan, Randolph, Dearborn to Ontario, then resume the regular route. Southbound buses will operate via Lake Shore Drive, LaSalle, Clark, Wacker, State, Washington, back to Michigan, then resume the regular route.
More frequent bus service will be provided on the #3 King Drive, #6 Jackson Park Express, #20 Madison, #22 Clark, #29 State, #60 Blue Island/26th, #62 Archer, and #66 Chicago routes, and on the Red, Blue, Brown and Orange Lines.
In addition, longer trains will be scheduled on the Green Line to accommodate the parade spectators.
Additional CTA supervisory personnel will be on hand to assist customers.
For more information about all CTA routes and schedules, call 836-7000 (all local area codes) or visit the web site at www.transitchicago.com.
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