Minnesota Department of Transportation officials closed an encampment of homeless people living near the intersection of Lake Street and Hiawatha Avenue Tuesday morning.

Crews arrived at 9 a.m. to clear out an estimated 35 to 40 people. Notice of the closure was posted Monday at 9 a.m., Jake Loesch, MnDOT spokesman, said in an email.

"MnDOT has always maintained that highway right-of-way is not a safe place for human beings to live," Loesch said.

Loesch said there had been visits to the camp in recent weeks from "service providers and local organizations" to share information about shelters and services. A Hennepin County team and staffers from the city of Minneapolis were among the visitors, he said.

As of Sunday, there were 56 shelter beds available through the county's Adult Shelter Connect, a collaborative of several agencies providing emergency shelter to single adults over age 18, Loesch said.

MnDOT also "offered secure storage options" for the belongings of those living in the camp and provided information about several local shelter options.