Lizard catching is the job today for crews working to stabilise a huge Wellington slip

An 11-million dollar project to repair the Ngaio Gorge slip begins this morning.

The hillside crumbled three years ago - it's taken this long to get work started due to the size and complexity of the slip.

Wellington City Council member Jenny Condie says they've also been waiting for hibernating lizards to wake up, so they can be safely re-homed before construction starts.

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