OAKLAND — A damaged portion of a major roadway into the Oakland hills has been patched, though officials have yet to announce a long-term fix designed to make the road safer.

In early July, city work crews paved a section of Shepherd Canyon Road between Snake Road and a local fire station. The roadway suffered cracking and what appears to be erosion of soil beneath because of heavy winter rains.

Motorists and hills residents including Nicholas Vigilante were concerned about the road becoming a major hazard to drivers who use the route to get to and from their homes.

Officials did not return phone calls involving the work. But in an email to Vigilante and Vice Mayor and District 4 City Council member Annie Campbell-Washington, Wladimir Wlassowsky, the city’s interim assistant director of its Transportation Department, said officials have been monitoring the situation with the aid of a geotechnical engineer since February and decided on a short-term solution.

“Last week, as a result of the continuing concerns, questions, emails and our own monitoring, our engineer performed a follow-up visual evaluation and concluded that on a short-term basis, the distressed area may be pitched-paved for safer driving conditions and to maintain two-way traffic,“ he wrote.

“Once the paving is completed, we will actively monitor the distress area. This is in no way a permanent repair; activities towards that end are underway now, and we anticipate having a schedule later this month.”

Just how much the reinforcement of the soil and hillside on which the road sits will cost has not been announced. Oakland city officials recently met with representatives of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which could provide funding for the project.

The meeting was open to staff of both agencies, though Vigilante was barred from the meeting despite the fact that public testimony is one of the factors the federal agency uses when determining how the FEMA funds will be allocated, he said.

Vigilante is concerned that the roadway could give way, making it difficult for drivers to connect with Montclair Village and other neighborhoods to the west. A blocked road could also be a danger in the event of another Oakland hills fire in which emergency crews are hampered by lack of access due to vehicle blockage, he added.

Oakland’s streets need work, and Mayor Libby Schaaf has promised to fill numerous potholes before the end of the year. The city’s voters also approved a special tax that would provide money for road repairs along with construction of fire stations and affordable housing.

The funds have yet to be spent, but city Transportation Department officials say the repair money should start flowing next year. In the memo, Wlassowsky said he would continue to keep Campbell Washington’s office informed so her staff can share updates with the community.