Homeless Camp Dismantled Over I-35; Fencing Installed After Safety, Health Concerns

DULUTH, Minn. – A homeless camp above I-35 in Duluth has been moved out with new security measures being installed after growing health and safety concerns there.

Crews with the Minnesota Department of Transportation were out Wednesday installing new fencing around the property along the 700 block of East Superior Street.

MnDOT officials say conditions were increasingly unsanitary, with mounting trash and needles all over the property.

“We’re concerned about everyone’s safety. The local business community was concerned that people were living in that area on our right-away, and it’s not the right place for people to live,” explained Beth Petrowske, MnDOT’s public affairs officer.

MnDOT says they work with local social services before homeless camps are cleared off of state property. They say it’s illegal to set up camp on MnDOT’s land.

The project’s total cost to hire a sanitary clean-up crew, install fencing, cut away trees and bushes to detour future camps, and pay for labor adds up to roughly $25,000, according to Petrowske.