Contractors dismantled tents and structures this morning on an embankment near the Punchbowl exit along the H-1 freeway, as part of the state’s effort to clear homeless camps near roadways.

“The focus right now is on the health and safety aspect,” said state Department of Transportation spokesman Tim Sakahara, who was at the site.

“The primary areas that we’re going to first are those ones above the roadway, like this one that’s on the embankment above the H-1 freeway. Certainly it’s a not a safe place for people to be living and we want to avoid any potential incidents as well with debris or rubbish falling down the embankment, possibly onto the roadway itself,” Sakahara said.

The state DOT sweeps this week are focusing on homeless camps above or adjacent to the H-1 corridor and Nimitz Highway.

Nearly a dozen homeless people removed a majority of the tents and tarps from the embankment before H.T.M. Contractors and deputy sheriffs arrived at about 8:30 a.m.

For the past few weeks, outreach workers have been notifying homeless occupants of the planned sweep.

The department is using $4 million in funding on efforts to keep DOT properties clear of encampments.