Businesses and tourists are hoping the road to Milford Sound reopens by Monday, to end the Fiordland attraction's isolation for more than a week.
Sections of State Highway 94 were buried by avalanches and closed last Thursday.
The resort has also been closed to air traffic - Air Milford owner Hank Sproull said aircraft operators could not fly to the sound since last Thursday because of bad weather.
The forecast was "more promising" for today, he said.
New Zealand Transport Agency Southland area manager Peter Robinson said it was hoped the road could be reopened by Monday.
Progress had been made on removing avalanche debris from the road and a more favourable weather forecast was expected to help.
Explosives would be used to dislodge unstable snow from the most at-risk areas.
The road was blocked by snow debris in at least six places between the Hollyford turn-off and the Homer Tunnel and by two avalanches between the other side of the tunnel and Milford Sound, one blocking the tunnel exit.
John Robson, general manager of Southern Discoveries, which operates Redboats, a cafe and underwater observatory at Milford, said that while the road was closed businesses would still incur costs.
They would be keenly anticipating the road reopening, as about 20,000 people visited each winter month.
There were four major tourism businesses in Milford and in winter they were affected by unpredictable road closures. One year the road was closed on 23 days and in another on four.
"This is bad for business but I have to support the principle they have on this. There has never been a life lost on the road, of a tourist," Mr Robson said.
The closure affects Te Anau businesses, 120km away, where hospitality business owner Daniel Anderson said the drop in tourist numbers was noticeable when the road was closed.
