With the Super Bowl three weeks away, critics want to know why the cleanup is happening now. Conan Nolan reports Jan. 25, 2022.
Cleanup crews removed items early Tuesday from a homeless encampment between Los Angeles International Airport and SoFi Stadium, the site of the Super Bowl in February.
Caltrans crews cleaned up the encampment at the Century Boulevard entrance ramp to the northbound 405 Freeway due to fire safety concerns, the agency said. People had been setting fires at the encampment, authorities said.
“Caltrans’ responsibility is to ensure the safety of the traveling public and to protect and maintain California’s highway infrastructure,” Caltrans said in a statement. “The department is coordinating with local partners to provide outreach and support including Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA).”
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A notice was posted 72 hours in advance of the cleanup on Jan. 20, Caltrans said. The notice was provided to allow people at the encampment under a 405 Freeway overpass to gather belongings.
Personal items left behind at the site will be delivered to a nearby maintenance yard for pickup.
Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts said rolling cleanups have been conducted by Caltrans in the area for the last three years. The last cleanup at this encampment was eight months to a year ago, Butts said.
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Similar cleanups have been done by Caltrans around Southern California. The state transportation agency owns owns or controls 350,000 acres of Right of Way and maintains more than 15,000 centerline miles of highway and 13,000-plus state highway bridges.
A request for service, including those involving homeless encampment, can be submitted on the Caltrans website.
The Super Bowl is scheduled for Feb. 13 at SoFi Stadium, located about two miles east of the freeway overpass.
