Seattle clears out large swath of land under West Seattle Bridge

SEATTLE — A total of 35 people accepted alternative shelter after Seattle's Navigation Team moved through a stretch of Spokane Street under the West Seattle Bridge.

Crews are moving out campers and installing fence to deter camps in the future.

On Monday, the city made one last effort to provide outreach to the people living under the bridge. On Tuesday, crews began clearing out the first of four zones. A total of 14 people of the 56 campers in the area accepted services from the city. This includes going to shelters. Other campers had previously accepted help in the weeks prior.

The city stored belongings of the campers for picking up later, including one bike and eight bins of clothing.

There were 17 abandoned tents in the fist zone. Crews cleaned up garbage and bio-waste. A specialized crew was called in to handle one area filled with “large amounts” human waste and dead rats, according to the city.

On Wednesday, the city conducted further outreach with people in the other three zones slated for cleanup. No one had returned to the previously cleaned location, which was fenced off.

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