City council took another financial step Monday in the major remediation of the escarpment near Robert Service Way and the road’s relocation.

Council members unanimously passed a budget amendment for the Robert Service Way Permanent Solution Detailed Design.

The project, described by Coun. Ted Laking as “complex and requiring a significant amount of time to complete,” needed the budget amendment to progress.

In early May, the federal government committed $46 million to stabilizing the clay cliffs and moving a section of Robert Service Way further away from them.

The source of the additional $15 million required for the $60-million project has not yet been determined.

An engineer must still define the scope of the project. The city’s administration has provided clarification on the engineer’s role, as well as the timeline and funding involved.

The corporate services committee has advised council to advance the amendment by allocating a portion of the 2024 to 2027 Capital Expenditures Program for the project, amounting to $250,000 from the general reserves, until the transfer payment agreement with the federal Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund is established.

Coun. Dan Boyd requested an update on administration’s actions and plans for the project.

“Over the next month to six weeks, we are looking to restore the road, move some of the jersey barriers back in place, and clean up some of the sediment that fell behind the barriers,” said Tracy Allen, the city’s infrastructure and operations director.

Most of the work will be done during nights and weekends to minimize the impact on traffic, she added.

Escarpment slides in April 2022 and April 2023 closed Robert Service Way for several weeks each time, prompting lengthy morning and afternoon commuter traffic snarls.