Work to fix a key transport route in the capital is finally set to begin - but only once lizards have been safely moved, one-by-one

An 11-million dollar project to strengthen and stabilise the Ngaio Gorge slip starts next Monday.

For three years, shipping containers have been all that's stood between the road and a crumbling hillside.

The work's expected to take two years to complete, with the road reduced to one lane at the slip site for that time.

But the first job is to find and move lizards out of harm's way.

Wellington City Councillor Jenny Condie says they've developed a Lizard Management Plan, trapping each one individually in a breathable cloth bag, before transferring to their new home across the road.

She says they've been waiting for the lizards to come out of hibernation before starting the work.