Transport Minister Simeon Brown said refocusing Waka Kotahi on the state of the country's roads was part of its 100-day plan.
State Highway 25A reopened on Wednesday morning.
Business owners say another closure would ruin them.
State Highway 25A between Kōpū and Hikuai will re-open to traffic on December 20.
Waka Kotahi confirmed legal proceedings have been taken over ongoing expectations to finish the project.
After a lengthy process, Scott Hearn was awarded more than $2000 in compensation for damage to his vehicle by a pothole.
New data shows the number of potholes being repaired had increased from 49,893 in 2018 to 54,544 in 2022.
"We haven't been investing enough into road maintenance."
Bilingual signage has been around for decades throughout the world.
