SACRAMENTO — California will close Interstate 5 on Saturday after military officials confirmed Saturday that live-fire artillery rounds will be shot over the freeway, prompting state officials to shut down the freeway in an unprecedented move that will undoubtedly cause massive gridlock.
Gov. Gavin Newsom criticized the White House for failing to coordinate or share safety information ahead of the Marine Corps 250th anniversary celebration titled “Sea to Shore — A Review of Amphibious Strength,” which will feature Vice President JD Vance.
The closure will cover 17 miles from Harbor Drive in Oceanside to Basilone Road near San Onofre and will be in effect from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Amtrak also is shutting down train service between Orange and San Diego counties midday.
“The President is putting his ego over responsibility with this disregard for public safety,” Newsom said in a statement Saturday. “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 governor’s office said it was told federal authorities were considering closing the freeway earlier in the week and when no order materialized by Wednesday, state officials began weighing whether to do so themselves. Driving that decision, they said, were safety concerns about reports that Navy ships would fire live ordnance over the freeway onto the base during the Marine Corps’ 250th anniversary celebration Saturday.
Newsom’s office said Thursday it was told no live fire would go over the freeway, only to be informed Friday that the military event organizers asked CalTrans for a sign on the I-5 that read “Overhead fire in progress.”
Earlier Saturday morning, the state was told that live rounds are scheduled for 1:30 p.m. today, prompting California Highway Patrol officials to recommend the freeway closure because of the potential safety risk and likelihood it would distract drivers.
The military show of force coincides with “No Kings” rallies and marches across the state Saturday challenging President Trump and what critics say is government overreach. Those protests are expected to draw large crowds.
The Marine Corps insisted that “no highways or transportation routes will be closed” following a detailed risk assessment. Capt. Gregory Dreibelbis of the I Marine Expeditionary Force said Thursday that no ordnance will be fired from a U.S. Navy ship during the event, but Marines will fire high explosive rounds from artillery known as M777 Howitzers into designated ranges “with all safety precautions in place.” Simulated explosives and visual effects will also be used, he said.
