The Amstutz Expressway in Waukegan was shut down for the filming of yet another spectacular rescue scene in a recent episode of Chicago Fire.
According to the IDOT, from October 6-12 the roadway between Genesee Street and Greenwood Avenue was shut down to film a scene where an 80-foot-long concrete beam fell off the trailer transporting it along the Amstutz Expressway and fell onto an SUV, trapping the driver inside.
Of course our heroes Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney), Joe Cruz (Joe Minoso), Capp (Randy Flagler), and Tony (Anthony Ferraris) showed up to rescue the driver.
Demetra Diamantopoulos, the co-executive producer of Chicago Fire explained to the Chicago Tribune exactly why that stretch of highway was chosen.
“We chose the Amstutz Highway because of its ability to be closed for a multiple-day stretch, Diamantopoulos said. “There are other places that we could have filmed, but none with the visual scope of that stretch of road. It was definitely the best choice for the scenes we were filming.”
As it turns out, this isn’t the first time One Chicago dramas have used this highway. The first time was in September of 2012 for Season 1, Episode 7 titled Two Families. In the episode, there was a multi-vehicle crash on the Amstutz Expressway just south of the Mathon Drive bridge in the southbound lanes. Our heroes physically moved a car with their own strength in order to get to a pregnant woman, who was delivering her baby right then and there!
Then again for Season 2, Episode 2, Prove It, which aired October 1, 2013, our heroes responded to a massive accident on the Amstutz Expressway on the northbound lane just north of Mathon drive where a truck carrying a modular home was knocked over onto it’s side.
The highway was used again in February 2017 for Season 5, Episode 17 Babies and Fools which aired Mar 28, 2017. In the episode, someone was throwing pieces of concrete from an overpass on the Amstutz Expressway and causing massive accidents. Ambulance 61 gets struck by a piece of concrete as they were traveling south and the chunk of concrete was thrown from Mathon Drive.
In season 7, episode 9 titled Always a Catch which aired Dec 5, 2018, our heroes responded to a multi car crash involving Joe’s girlfriend on the Amstutz Expressway in the northbound lane just north of the Grand Avenue exit.
ALSO READ: More ONE CHICAGO News
In January 2017 Chicago Med had a turn shutting down the Amstutz Expressway for three days to film their own multi-car crash scene and rescue during a snowstorm on the northbound Amstutz from Greenwood Avenue to Grand Avenue. Season 2, Episode 14 titled Cold Front followed the doctors and nurses of Chicago Med deal with an influx of patients from the car crash.
In addition to Chicago Fire and Chicago Med, Waukegan has also hosted movie productions such as Batman Begins, The Blues Brothers, Groundhog Day, Save the Last Dance, Contagion, and Oceans Twelve.
Chicago Fire executive producers include Dick Wolf, Derek Haas, Todd Arnow, Andrea Newman, Michael Gilvary, Michael Brandt, Reza Tabrizi, Arthur W. Forney, Peter Jankowski.
Chicago Fire is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Wolf Entertainment. Filmed at Cinespace Chicago Film Studio.
Sign up for our free elert here and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
