Despite earlier statements to the contrary, officials announced plans to close a massive chunk of Interstate 5 in Southern California through Camp Pendleton on the morning of Saturday, Oct. 18. The closure, which will likely snarl traffic for hours as commuters, locals and tourists navigate a 30-mile detour through the Inland Empire and rural San Diego County, is set to pinch off the busy but narrow freeway connection between greater San Diego, the state’s second-largest city, and Orange County to the north.
The surprise closure by the state comes just days after federal officials announced the opposite, saying, “No public highways or transportation routes will be closed,” in a news release from the Marines at Camp Pendleton on Wednesday.
The closure is part of a planned military celebration at the large Marine Corps base north of San Diego, dubbed “America’s Marines 250: From Sea to Shore – A Review of Amphibious Strength.” The event is planned to involve the firing of live munitions, per a statement from Gov. Gavin Newsom Saturday, and comes the same day as a nationwide series of No Kings protests against the Trump administration.
“The President is putting his ego over responsibility with this disregard for public safety,” reads the statement from Newsom’s office. “Firing live rounds over a busy highway isn’t just wrong – it’s dangerous. Using our military to intimidate people you disagree with isn’t strength – it’s reckless, it’s disrespectful, and it’s beneath the office he holds. Law and order? This is chaos and confusion.”
The California Highway Patrol further confirmed the closure, which will see the entire 17-plus-mile stretch from Harbor Drive in Oceanside to Basilone Road to the north closed between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Amtrak’s busy commuter rail line, known as the Pacific Surfliner, which connects from San Diego all the way to San Luis Obispo, is also slated to be closed along this same stretch of coastline.
“The Marine Corps did not request the closure of the I-5,” Camp Pendleton officials said in a statement emailed to SFGATE. “We appreciate the public’s patience as Marines and Sailors conduct realistic training during today’s historic Amphibious Capabilities Demonstration, showcasing the strength and unity of the Navy-Marine Corps team and ensuring we remain ready to defend the Homeland and our Nation’s interests abroad.”
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This article originally published at ‘Chaos’: Live-fire military event surprise to close key California freeway.