The Bogong High Plains Road from Mount Beauty to Falls Creek is set to reopen by April 25 following a six-month closure due to a landslide.
Residents were evacuated in October after the slow-moving landslide forced the road's closure and cut access to the Falls Creek ski village.
One lane will be open to all traffic by Anzac Day, according to Major Road Project Victoria, and construction will continue for the road to be fully open.
Traffic managers will be in place while just one lane is open so tourists will need to factor delays into their travel time.
Project Director Dipal Sorathia guarantees there will be access for the snow season.
"Machines are now working seven days a week and can traverse through the landscape at the bottom, which means our productivity has increased," he said.
The road reopening is subject to weather conditions but Mr Sorathia says enough time has been allowed for potential delays so that the snow season is not impacted.
"If the weather does hinder us, and we get rain for three or four days back to back, and if it does move by a day or two, we are still well within our comfort zone," he said.
"That gives the community comfort, the ski season is still going to proceed."
Winter recovery
The ABC has heard from several business operators affected by the landslide
One business had to cancel a $39,000 group booking because it wasn't able to an assurance that the road would be open by the beginning of the ski season.
General Manager of Falls Creek Resort Kate Moegel says residents are thrilled to finally have a date locked in and to be able to provide that assurance to guests.
"It's well ahead of the winter season so it gives us plenty of time for preseason preparation," she said.
After six months with no road access, Ms Moegel says a good snow season will help operators but won't balance the books for many.
"This will take us at least two years to recover from. Having no support, we have been haemorrhaging," she said.
"The good winter will be just the beginning of our recovery."
Up to $90m in lost income
While the road reopening is good news for snow bunnies, summer operators are still counting their losses after an entire "green season" of no operations.
"It's a devastating blow, particularly after losing business to bushfires and then COVID impacting two winters," said Lisa Logan from Falls Creek Chamber of Commerce.
"It just puts you right behind the eight ball."
Earlier projections estimated over $35 million would be lost during the three months the road was closed at the end of last year Ms Logan said.
"If you multiply that out for the entire summer period, I would say we're looking at anywhere between 70 and 90 million dollars of losses," she said.
"It's a long period of time to basically be running businesses at a loss or not being able to generate an income at all."
Whilst the government has offered some financial assistance, Ms Logan says it isn't enough.
"That's not something we could ever be compensated for," she said.
"There's been no adequate support for loss of income for most of us up here."
Ms Logan welcomes the news of the road's re-opening date and says it takes away a lot of residents' anguish.
Major Road Projects Victoria will continue working at the site to develop a permanent solution so access isn't lost during future landslides, which are likely.
