FREEWAY CLOSURE DEEPENS STRAIN

California shuts [-5 after military confirms live artillery would be shot over it for event.

- ANDREW J. CAMPA, MELODY GUTIERREZ, KAREN GARCIA AND MALIA MENDEZ

TRAFFIC backs up in San Clemente on Saturday while Interstate 5 is closed.

Gridlock reigned Saturday on one of California's most vital freeways after state officials closed a 17-mile stretch of Interstate 5 in response to a planned event in which live-fire artillery rounds were shot over the freeway at Camp Pendleton.

The full closure of the main route between Los Angeles and San Diego was brief, but it caused massive traffic jams across San Diego and Orange counties. Exits from the freeway onto surface streets were clogged. Many motorists were forced to take a jammed Interstate 15. The inland detour swelled drive times from L.A. to San Diego to well over three hours as of Saturday afternoon. That was an hourlong delay during typical conditions.

The closure marked another clash between the Trump administration and Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Newsom criticized the White House for failing to coordinate or share safety information ahead of the Marine Corps 250th anniversary celebration, which featured Vice President JD Vance.

"It is not safe for people to drive on a major freeway at high speeds directly under LIVE MUNITIONS," his office wrote on X. "White House not communicating, endangering the public, and then trying to blame the Governor for doing the right thing — keeping people out of harm's way — yet another day living in Trump's authoritarian America," the post said.

Administration officials said the Camp Pendleton event was safe and that a freeway closure was not needed.

"Gavin Newsom wants people to think this exercise is dangerous," said William Martin, the communications director for Vance, in a statement.

Oceanside Assistant Police Chief John McKean said that while the full closure lasted a little over an hour, the California Highway Patrol planned to conduct a traffic break when the ammunition fired.