I-5 to close Saturday for Camp Pendleton military exercise involving live ammunition

The entrance to Marine Corps base Camp Pendleton in Oceanside File photo by Gregory Bull Associated Press The California Highway Patrol reports that a section of Interstate in San Diego from Harbor Drive to Basilone Road in Oceanside will be closed from about a m to p m Saturday for a military event at Camp Pendleton involving the federal regime discharging live ammunition over the freeway Gov Gavin Newsom stated in a news release that ensuring population safety during the live fire demonstration at Camp Pendleton after the federal ruling body early Saturday established with state and local leadership that the event would occur The President is putting his ego over responsibility with this disregard for constituents safety 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 In California we are proud to honor our military and the sacrifices they continue to make for our country As we all recognize the th anniversary of the Armed Forces let us remember the guiding principles upon which our founding fathers built this great nation and hold dearly those inherent rights that we all share The state was in recent months informed that the White House intended to hold a major event between Friday Oct and Saturday Oct at Camp Pendleton that involved firing live artillery rounds over the I- freeway Newsom condemned what he called an absurd show of force On Thursday Oct the U S Marine Corps approved its exercise would be conducted on its training ranges as it routinely does but not over the freeway That afternoon the federal governing body also directed the cancellation of train services running parallel to I- between Orange and San Diego counties on Saturday Late on Friday the state received notice from event organizers asking for Caltrans signage to be posted along the I- freeway reading Overhead fire in progress Also on Friday state bureaucrats near Camp Pendleton observed live munitions being fired near the freeway in what appeared to be a practice run Early Saturday morning after the state again inquired for details the federal establishment informed personnel that live fire programs had been scheduled for p m Saturday Due to extreme life-safety risks and prospective distractions to drivers including sudden unexpected and loud explosions a section of I- will be closed for a period on Saturday Oct The closure comes at the recommendation of traffic safety experts at the California Highway Patrol I- is a critical economic corridor for Southern California carrying more than travelers and moving million in freight daily between San Diego and Orange counties Just north of Oceanside over vehicles cross county lines each day half of them for work Agents estimate million in daily visitor spending could be lost due to the closure along with delays for thousands of truck shipments relying on uninterrupted access Drivers should expect essential delays on Interstate and other regional routes before during and after the event Travelers are encouraged to check real-time traffic conditions at quickmap dot ca gov before heading through the area City News contributed to this analysis