CTA adding extra service for Magnificent Mile Lights Festival and Bears game this weekend

The CTA will be adding extra service over the weekend for the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival and the Bears game.

On Saturday, the CTA will provide longer Brown, Blue, Orange and Pink Line trains from 3 p.m. until 9 p.m. and Red Line trains will operate with increased frequency from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. for the BMO Harris Bank Magnificent Mile Lights Festival, according to the CTA.

The following buses will be rerouted from 3 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. because of festival street closures:

• No. 3 King Drive
• No. 4 Cottage Grove
• No. 6 Jackson Park Express
• No. 10 Museum of Science and Industry
• No. 36 Broadway
• No. 66 Chicago
• No. 146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express
• No. 147 Outer Drive Express
• No 151 Sheridan

Those who attend the festival should also be aware of the street closures, increased activity, and wintery weather forecast, according to a statement from the Office of Emergency Management and Communications.

The festival begins with the lighting procession from Oak Street and North Michigan Avenue and proceeds south to Wacker Drive and east to Columbus Drive. The procession ends with a fireworks show over the Chicago River at Michigan Avenue, but, for public safety, those who attend are not allowed to view the fireworks on any bridges, according to the statement.

Saturday street closures on Michigan Avenue from Oak to Wacker, on Oak Street from State to Michigan, and on Upper Wacker Drive from Michigan to the east turnaround will begin at 3:30 p.m. and will remain closed until 8:00 p.m. Upper Columbus Drive from Wacker to Randolph will be closed from 4:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Other streets will be closed at 7:00 a.m., including Oak Street from Clark to State, Dearborn Street from Delaware to Maple and Walton Street from State to Clark. These additional streets will reopen at 6:00 p.m., according to the statement.

For the Bears’ game Sunday, the CTA will operate the No. 128 Soldier Field Express between Union Station, Ogilvie and Soldier Field, and will provide additional No. 146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express service for customers heading to the game.

The additional bus service will begin at 9 .m. and continue until one hour after the game ends.