Plan to fire live artillery shells on a major Southern California highway as part of a military parade attended by the Vice President J.D. Vance It raised strong objections from the government Gavin Newsomwhich said safety concerns forced it to close a 17-mile (27-kilometer) section of the highway.
“The president is putting his ego before the buck with this disregard for public safety,” the Democratic governor said in a statement. “Firing live ammunition on a busy highway is not only wrong, it is dangerous.”
Vance and U.S. Marine Corps officials at Camp Pendleton said there was nothing unsafe about the artillery exercises and no need to disrupt traffic on Interstate 5, the main highway along the Pacific Coast between San Diego and Los Angeles.
Republican Vice President and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will visit Camp Pendleton in North San Diego County to commemorate the Marine Corps’ 250th anniversary, and the troops will put on a display of amphibious vehicles and aircraft with a beach landing display.
The state had considered closing the highway earlier in the week, but the U.S. Marine Corps said Thursday that the event would occur at approved training ranges and comply with established safety protocols.
State transportation officials ultimately made the decision to close the highway after the shooting on the highway Friday evening and asked event organizers to place signs along the route stating “Overhead Shooting.”
The California Highway Patrol said a portion of the highway will 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 due to the military event directed by the White House, and for the safety of the public, we need to close the highway because they are sending live orders across the highway,” said Matt Rocco, a spokesman for the California Department of Transportation.
The Associated Press has reached out to Vance’s office and the U.S. Marine Corps for comment.
In a statement to the New York Times, Vance spokesman William Martin said Newsom is misleading the public about safety risks. He said it was routine training.
“If Gavin Newsom wants to oppose training that ensures our armed forces are the deadliest, deadliest fighting force in the world, he can move forward immediately,” Martin said.
The I-5 closure could cost up to another two hours of commute time for those commuting between San Diego and Los Angeles, Rocco said. The highway carries 80,000 passengers and $94 million in freight through the corridor daily, according to the governor’s office. Commuter rail services that run parallel to I-5 were also canceled in the afternoon.