Both directions of traffic on the I-5 freeway were shut down for several hours on Nov. 2, as police searched for a pipe bomb intended for the Vista courthouse. (Will Parson/Guardian)

The Nov. 2 closure of Interstate 5 due to a pipe bomb placed
on the La Jolla-area freeway forced a temporary shutdown of the bridge on Voigt Drive, as
well as led to several shuttle routes being rerouted for approximately two
hours.

The explosive device, found in a backpack, was planted
slightly north of the La Jolla
Village Drive exit near the UCSD campus. The
California Highway Patrol initially shut down only one lane and a number of
ramps, but later decided to shut down a six-mile stretch of I-5 in both
directions, from Highway 52 to the I-5/I-805 merge.

The maker of the device, 46-year-old Michael Buffalo of Oceanside, had told
police the bomb’s location earlier in the day. Police said Buffalo had
originally planned to detonate the bomb at the Vista Courthouse.

He is currently facing three charges: possession of,
intention to make and transportation of a destructive device. More charges may
be filed at a later date.

Sgt. David Isley of the UCSD Police Department said that the
close proximity of Voigt Drive to the bomb’s actual location forced officials
to block off the bridge while the San Diego Sheriff Department’s bomb squad
detonated the explosive device.

The Oceanside Police Department had been conducting an
investigation of the bomb in tandem with the CHP, the San Diego Fire-Rescue
Department and the San Diego Police Department when UCPD received notice that
the bomb was in close proximity to the bridge on Voigt. Therefore, UCPD handled
the closure of the bridge.

The bridge was initially closed at about 1:30 p.m., and was
reopened after the threat had been neutralized by remote control at
approximately 3:30 p.m. Despite the closures, campus operations were largely
unaffected, Isley said.

However, the closure was problematic for some students who
rely on the shuttles for transportation to and from campus.

“I was stuck on campus for a few hours,” John Muir College
junior Joanne Jao said. “I didn’t understand why the shuttles were stopped when
it was the freeway that was affected. It was a really big inconvenience.”

Isley said that although it was inconvenient, the bridge’s
closure was necessary to ensure the safety of everyone on campus.

“It wasn’t a major problem,” Isley said. “It was an
inconvenience for two hours. We needed to make sure people were safe. I think
people understood.”

He said that he was not aware of any complaints being
received about the closures, although UCPD did field many phone calls from
people with questions about what had occurred.