Gridlock traffic on 5 Freeway through Castaic continues into holiday weekend

The Route Fire in Castaic, which has burned more than 5,000 acres, has made a mess of traffic on the 5 Freeway, and as travelers head into the holiday weekend, they should expect to hit the brakes. 

"It just stops. It's just dead, that's it," said Castaic resident Roy McCraney. "They're not going anywhere." 

McCraney and his wife, Patty, know all too well that on a holiday weekend, traffic will make getting around town doubly difficult. 

"It's a lot of chaos and a lot of trucks. It just stops," Patty told CBSLA. 

Her husband echoed the sentiment saying it's almost impossible to go anywhere local, but that Castaic residents can head south, down into Valencia. 

The backup started well before the holiday weekend as the Route Fire shut down traffic on the 5 Freeway in both directions Wednesday and continued. By Thursday morning, just northbound lane of traffic was open and two southbound lanes. 

Caltrans opened an additional lane on each side of the 5 Freeway, but by the evening, the backup continued.

A Costa Mesa family headed up to Yosemite National Park for the long weekend kept a realistic outlook on their arrival time. 

"We're going to get there when we get there," they said.  

As for the McCraney's, they said Friday afternoon is usually when the traffic is at its worse, which is why they're planning to stay home with their granddaughters for the Labor Day Weekend. 

The slow down in the Castaic area is expected to continue even after Caltrans opens all lanes of the freeway.