Highway Chaos: Marine Celebration Sparks Traffic Nightmare

A big military celebration at Camp Pendleton caused a huge traffic mess on Interstate 5. The highway was closed for hours, and even after it reopened, things were still slow. Why? Because live artillery rounds were being fired nearby. Imagine sitting in traffic and suddenly hearing loud booms—it's not exactly a relaxing drive! The closure stretched from Oceanside to San Onofre, affecting everyone trying to get between San Diego and Los Angeles. Amtrak trains were also stopped, making things even worse. Some drivers tried to find shortcuts, but the police quickly shut those down. The governor criticized the White House for not sharing safety info ahead of time, calling it reckless. This isn't something that happens often. The assistant police chief said he's never seen the highway closed for anything other than wildfires. He also mentioned that while he's used to artillery fire from his time in the Marines, it can still be a big distraction for drivers. The Marine Corps said the event was safe and that firing artillery over the highway is a normal practice. But the governor's office said they were told live fire wouldn't happen over the freeway—only to find out later that it would. That's why the highway patrol recommended closing the road. Meanwhile, protests were happening across the state, adding to the chaos. The governor accused the White House of using the military to intimidate people, while the vice president's team said the governor was just making things political. If you were planning to drive through that area, you had to take big detours. Caltrans gave some advice on alternative routes, but no matter which way you went, it was going to take a lot longer than usual.