Kaikoura residents will be celebrating this morning as the inland road has been reopened for full use.
It was reopened at 8am Monday, with a New Zealand Transport Agency spokesperson saying traffic should be freely-flowing with no restrictions.
The road running from Waiau to Kaikoura has been closed, apart from some restricted access for emergency and repair vehicles, since November's magnitude 7.8 earthquake.
Minister for Defence Gerry Brownlee says the road re-opening is a big step towards reconnecting the town - but there's still a long way to go.
"We hope this makes some difference. You've got to still see it as a road in and a road out, not a road through" he said.
The New Zealand Transport Agency plans to keep the road open, barring any major aftershocks or extreme weather. Crews will be monitoring the road for any potential danger.
"You can never guarantee exactly what will happen, but every effort is being made to make this road as safe as possible" Mr Brownlee says.
"It's still a challenging road, there's no doubt about that. But I'm confident the authorities have done a good job".
Mr Brownlee says the next step will be reopening the south-coastal road.
Newshub.
