A portion of Interstate 5 will be closed on Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. between Harbor Dr. and Basilone Rd. due to live-fire at Camp Pendleton, according to the California Highway Patrol (CHP).
A CHP spokesperson told KPBS that the decision to close the freeway was made early Saturday.
State and local officials Thursday said the highway would not be closed.
It's not clear what changed between Thursday and Saturday to prompt the closure or who ordered it.
In a statement Saturday morning California Gov. Gavin Newson said the decision to close the section of the interstate "comes at the recommendation of traffic safety experts at the California Highway Patrol." He called the live fire exercise an "absurd show of force."
“The President is putting his ego over responsibility with this disregard for public 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," Newsom said.
The CHP has a map with real-time traffic information on the road closures. You can find that information here.
Due to an event at Camp Pendleton today, I-5 will be closed from Harbor Dr to Basilone Rd from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm.
— California Highway Patrol San Diego (@CHP_San_Diego) October 18, 2025
Visit https://t.co/xPdNxMGLrK for real-time traffic information. Thank you for your patience; please drive safely.#CHP #Caltrans #I5 #CampPendleton #Traffic pic.twitter.com/4uKSAZXKud
