ARLINGTON — City officials are hoping a section of Tveit Road that has been closed since April can be repaired before winter.

On Sept. 21, the City Council approved a resolution that would authorize Snohomish County to repair the roadway, which was closed April 17 after an 80-foot section of road and guardrail slid off the north side of the road.

Residents who live in the area have had to deal with longer commutes because of the road closure, and city officials said that emergency equipment and personnel could be substantially delayed in case of an emergency.

The affected section runs from 92nd Avenue NE to 9202 Tveit Road.

The city is currently party to an aid agreement for minor street projects for municipal services with the county, but projects under the agreement cannot exceed $10,000.

The new resolution would allow the city to bypass that amount, according to city documents.

Arlington Public Works Director Jim Kelly said during the City Council meeting that the repairs to the road would not exceed $240,000.

Initial city estimates for the repair ranged from $600,000 to $800,000, but the city received a lower estimate from the county to pay for the repairs, said Kristin Banfield, city of Arlington spokeswoman.

Preliminary estimates included removing and replacing the structural fill beneath the road. The county method would use a more cost-effective solution, she said.

“It’s a totally different solution to fixing the road,” said Banfield, adding that the county has done a number of road repairs using this approach. “This method would leave the structural fill in place and use polymers to bind the fill instead of replacing it.”

The city originally contacted FEMA to help fund the repairs, but the federal agency denied the claim, which delayed the process, Kelly said.

Those delays have caused the project to be pushed back to the fall — the end end of city’s construction season — while the city explored different funding options.

Banfield said the city is currently appealing a second claim to FEMA for the project, but city funds may have to be used.

“We may have to face that reality,” she said.

Christopher Schwarzen of the Snohomish County Executive’s office said in an e-mail that the county is hoping to begin work on the project during the week of Sept. 28.

If all goes according to plan, the road could be re-opened by the end of October.

The resolution was passed unanimously.