Work to build temporary access around a major slip on the Mauao base track began today.

The work will once again complete the base track loop by enabling people to walk around the slip site, on the Pilot Bay side of the mountain.

The wooden steps are intended to be temporary and removable to avoid damage to archaeological sites in the area.

'We're expecting to open the steps up within two weeks - sooner if we can manage it. As soon as they're done we'll be letting the community know,” says Tauranga City Council's Parks and Recreation Manager, Mark Smith.

Tauranga City Council staff are simultaneously working through a long-term solution that will reroute the base track to run along the beach, offering a view of the ocean and the statue of Tangaroa.