Drivers on the mid-island are being asked to use an alternative route as a major film shoot closes down Highway 19 near Bowser.

From Monday to Friday this week, Highway 19 will shut down from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. as film crews shoot scenes for the upcoming movie Sonic the Hedgehog.

Traffic control personnel will be present along the highway at Cook Creek Road and Horne Lake Road to remind drivers of the closures, B.C.'s transportation ministry said in a news release.

A detour will be available via Highway 19A, also known as the Old Island Highway, during filming.

Drivers are also asked to slow down through the Bowser village centre, where the posted speed limit is 60 kilometres an hour.

Filming has the potential to stretch into the weekend, the ministry said.

Paramount says the Sonic the Hedgehog movie will feature the titular, computer-generated hedgehog from the video game series of the same name. The movie is rumoured to star, among others, Canadian comedy legend Jim Carrey.

The Vancouver Island shoots for the movie are mostly taking place in Ladysmith and have a budget of upwards of $7-million.