A plan to fire live artillery shells over a major Southern California highway as part of a military showcase attended by Vice President JD Vance has drawn strong objections from Gov. Gavin Newsom, who said safety concerns forced him to close a 17-mile (27 kilometers) portion of the interstate.
“The President is putting his ego over responsibility with this disregard for public safety,” the Democratic governor said in a statement. “Firing live rounds over a busy highway isn’t just wrong — it’s dangerous.”
Vance and U.S. Marine officials at Camp Pendleton have said there is nothing unsafe about the artillery exercise and no need to disrupt traffic on Interstate 5, which serves as the main highway along the Pacific coast between San Diego and Los Angeles.
The Republican vice president and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are visiting Camp Pendleton in North San Diego County to celebrate the Marine Corps’ 250th anniversary. This includes a display of amphibious vehicles and aircraft, with a beach landing demonstration.
Despite earlier considerations to close the freeway, military officials assured that the event would take place on approved training ranges in adherence with safety protocols.
State transportation officials ultimately made the decision to close the freeway after practice firings over the freeway Friday evening and a request from event organizers for signage along the road stating, “Overhead fire in progress.”
The California Highway Patrol announced that a stretch of the highway would be closed Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. local time, though travelers should expect delays before, during, and after the event.
“This is all because of the White House-directed military event that requires us to shut down the freeway for public safety as they send live ordinances over the freeway,” California Department of Transportation spokesperson Matt Rocco stated.
The expected closure could cost commuters an additional two hours of travel time between San Diego and Los Angeles, as the freeway is busy with 80,000 travelers and carries $94 million in freight daily. Additionally, passenger rail services parallel to I-5 have also been canceled for the afternoon.
