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 stated that there is nothing unsafe about the artillery exercise and no need to disrupt traffic on Interstate 5, 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, with troops presenting a show of amphibious vehicles and aircraft including a beach landing demonstration.
Transportation officials had initially considered closing the freeway earlier in the week; however, U.S. Marines assured that the event would take place on approved training ranges and under established safety protocols.
Ultimately, state officials decided to close the freeway following practice firings over the highway and requests for warning signage stating “Overhead fire in progress.” The California Highway Patrol confirmed the closure would occur Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. local time, but advised that travelers should anticipate delays before, during, and after the event.
“This is all because of the White House-directed military event that we need to shut down the freeway for public safety,” said Matt Rocco, a spokesperson for the California Department of Transportation.
The Associated Press reached out to Vance’s office and Marines for further comments. A spokesperson for Vance responded to Newsom’s statements, arguing that the governor misled the public about the safety risk, labeling it as routine training.
Rocco added that the I-5 closure could extend commuting times by up to two hours between San Diego and Los Angeles, affecting around 80,000 travelers and $94 million in freight daily. Passenger rail services parallel to I-5 also have been canceled for the afternoon.
