Southland District Council meets on Wednesday to discuss whether to back plans for a road from the West Coast to Milford Sound.
The Westland District Council's property management company is proposing a 127-kilometre toll road that would take five hours off the current driving time.
Westland District Property chairman Durham Havil says the road will be built by a New Zealand company.
However, while acknowledging the head of the group financing the venture is American, he will not confirm whether the actual backers are Chinese investors.
Mr Havil says he looking forward to the outcome of Wednesday's council meeting which he hopes will support the venture.
Southland mayor Frana Cardno says while she promoted the idea in her bid for the mayoralty 21 years ago, she is not willing to say whether she will support it now.
