Caltrans to spend $200,000 to keep homeless away from on-ramp

The camp has been regularly visited for years by city police, CHP officers including Wrathall, street counselors and officials of the California Department of Transportation - which owns the on-ramp - and partially cleared out every month.

But lately it had grown to include a community garden, a bucketful of dead rats and a fire pit for melting rubber off salvaged or stolen wiring to sell for recycling. The various agencies determined it was time to move in.

Because campers tore out thousands of dollars of cyclone fencing under the on-ramp to set up tents, Caltrans' plan is now to install a more durable barrier to try to keep them out. That fence will probably cost about $200,000.