The contracting company clearing State Highway 1 either side of Kaikoura says the southern section through to Christchurch could be open for essential traffic within a fortnight.
Crews are busy clearing dozens of slips along the highway, some of them containing hundreds of thousands of cubic metres of material.
The Kaikoura Emergency Access Route - the Inland Road - remains closed to uncontrolled access.
But there will be controlled access today for another convoy of 30 vehicles carrying critical infrastructure and welfare supplies.
A final decision on whether the convoy can go or not will be made this morning.