Queenstown Lakes District Council contractors finished the bypass during the weekend, around Devil's Elbow, where a 5m section of the road collapsed into the Shotover River last week after heavy rain and snow.
The slip left 12 households and seven tourist operators pondering how to access their homes and get customers to the other side, but at least one tourist operator will continue to fly customers in by helicopter.
Access to the temporary road will be restricted to four-wheel-drive vehicles with off-road tyres, and public access will not be allowed until the road reinstatement is complete.
The road will be open three times a day. Tourist operators will have to find alternative access for their customers outside those times.
Skippers Canyon Jet owner Winky Hohneck said the company had been taking up to 20 clients a day into the canyon by helicopter since Tuesday, but business had been quiet because of the wet and cold weather anyway.
"We'll be sweet. It's better to get the road done over time and properly."
Mrs Hohneck described the temporary road as a "goat track" and "steep as".
"We're going to stick with the helicopter at this stage ... it's pricy, but it's just what you've got to do."
QLDC transport manager Denis Mander said the opening times had been worked through with operators yesterday to ensure their access needs and those of residents were being met.
The road would be closed to the public at all times.
"Unfortunately, we have to continue to close access to the public but the sooner we get the work completed the sooner we can reopen the road."
Although there was still a significant amount of material to be excavated for the road, contractors were finding the work more straightforward than was initially expected.
However, Mr Mander was hesitant to raise expectations about timeframes.
Both the Otago Regional Council and Historic Places Trust had given the council the "go ahead" to undertake work on the new section of road and dispose of rock in the Shotover River 100m below.
QLDC would still await retrospective consent from Lakes Environmental and ORC, but was confident of it.
