Highcliff Rd on Otago Peninsula, which was closed by slips last June, has reopened to the public.
However, other sections of the road may be closed soon as other slips are fixed.
The road remained closed following after last June's torrential downpour after a slip took a sizeable bite out of the road and two cars crashed into the hole.
It was off-limits to the general public from Camp St to Seal Point Rd, with only local residents able to pass through.
However, one lane of the road reopened yesterday, controlled by temporary traffic lights, after geotechnical analysis confirmed the road was stable enough for traffic to pass by "two car slip''.
Dunedin City Council roading projects engineer Mike Harrison said the reopening was the first step in fixing several slips on peninsula roads.
The council remained confident the road was safe at present and had geotechnical engineers at the ready to respond to any changes in ground conditions, he said.
"The ground conditions have changed quite significantly [recently]. There's been a lot of drainage of groundwater through the soils. That's been going on for several months and it's only in recent weeks that we have got that kind of surety around the slip.''
Analysis showed the slip was unlikely to move with present ground conditions.
However, the road could be closed again if groundwater levels changed or there was another heavy deluge.
"It's safe until there's a significant change,'' he said.
The reopening of the road would allow other slips to be repaired, as Highcliff Rd would have to be closed at those sites to allow crews to go to work.
The council did not want to close the road at more than one point at a time because of the inconvenience to residents, he said.
It was hoped all work to fix the five slips on the peninsula would be completed by the end of June, although it was dependent on weather and other factors outside the control of the council, he said.
The council had previously estimated the repair of Dunedin's roads following last June's floods would cost about $1.5million and that figure still held, Mr Harrison said.
A tendering process to fix "two car slip'' would begin next month after designs for the repair were complete, he said.
Tenders for the other six slips - four on the peninsula and two on the West Harbour at St Leonards - would open about the same time.
The NZ Transport Agency would pay for 58% of the work with a planning and investment subsidy and the remainder of the bill would be covered by the council.
Otago Community Board chairwoman Christine Garey said the reopening of the road was pleasing for residents.
"This will be welcomed by the community because it has been very difficult for a lot of people and it's been a very busy tourist season,'' she said.
"We are looking to the next stage, which is the repair,.. it is going to take time and it is going to require ongoing patience.''
She pointed to the repairs at Turnbulls Bay as an example of the success of previous council work.
"I know that was challenging on this end, but look at the result of it,'' she said.
"I'm very happy with this outcome [Highcliff Rd reopening] and I hope the community can be a little patient as we go through the next phase. This is a really positive step.''
The June downpour flooded low-lying suburbs of Dunedin, cut off some residents and caused more than $30million in damage throughout the city.
