Caltrans announces unscheduled I-5 closure for military exercise involving live ammunition

CALIFORNIA — The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) announced a portion of Interstate 5 will be closed today, Saturday, October 18, due to a White House–directed military event at Camp Pendleton involving the use of live ammunition fired over the freeway.

For safety reasons, both directions of I-5 will be closed from Harbor Drive to Basilone Road beginning around noon and will remain closed until the event concludes.

Caltrans advises motorists to expect major delays along I-5 and other regional routes throughout Southern California before, during, and after the closure.

Drivers are urged to check quickmap.dot.ca.gov for real-time traffic updates before traveling through the area.

Passenger rail service along the nearby rail corridor will also be temporarily disrupted this afternoon. Travelers can find updates on service changes at pacificsurfliner.com/alerts and metrolinktrains.com.

Alternate Routes

Northbound from San Diego County: Detours begin at State Route 15 in southeast San Diego. Motorists west of I-15 are encouraged to use SR-94, SR-52, SR-56, or SR-78 to connect with I-15 north.
From San Diego to Los Angeles County: Take I-15 north to State Route 91 west.
From Los Angeles to San Diego: Take SR-91 east to I-15 south.
From San Diego to Orange County: Use I-15 north to SR-91 west, then SR-55 south.
From Orange County to San Diego: Take SR-55 north to SR-91 east, then I-15 south.
To or from Riverside County: Use I-15 and SR-91 as alternate routes.

Caltrans officials emphasized that the closure is necessary to ensure public safety during the exercise. Normal traffic operations are expected to resume once the event concludes later today.