Significant downpours caused landslips to cut off access in and out of Kangaroo Valley in March.

Moss Vale Road, which heads into Kangaroo Valley from Cambewarra Mountain, has only been accessible through traffic escorts every hour on the way in and every half hour on the way out.

This has meant locals and visitors who have missed the trip in have been stuck waiting up to an hour for their next chance, or have been forced to drive around via Berry.

From Thursday, the timed traffic escort will change to a traffic light system which should shorten the wait time to ten minutes rather than up to an hour.

Linda Vella, owner of fashion and homewares store The Hive KV, says it's one step closer to normality and hopes it attracts more into the village.

"I'm just absolutely thrilled about it," Linda said. "It just makes it so much easier for people now they won't have to think about timing.

"I'm hopeful it will bring more people back and the trade will pick up."

Read more: Magical start to Moss Vale youth women's historical season opener

Business owners reported a downturn of up to 80 per cent in trade during March, according to Kangaroo Valley Chamber of Tourism and Commerce.

And while activity has increased slightly, they are still reeling as Southern Highlands visitors are unable to access the village over Barrengarry Mountain.

"I would say it's definitely picked up, but it's still very slow. I've noticed people are coming back to stay here again," Linda said.

"The second COVID lockdown slowed everything to a grinding halt ... and then with the flooding and the landslips, it's just never recovered to those levels that we were at before Christmas."

Hit by disaster after disaster, treasurer of the Kangaroo Valley Chamber of Tourism and Commerce Natalie Harker encouraged locals to book a staycation.

"We always joke about being on 'valley time' because it's usually quiet," she said.

"But now we're so pleased to see a bit more traffic after the last few months.

"And it's actually a brilliant time to come, because there are no big trucks on the road, you can ride bikes down the street and go for walks without many around."

Read more: Ngununggula gallery wins prestigious heritage accolade

While the rain proved a challenge for Transport for NSW road crews, there were no delays in reopening Moss Vale Road over Cambewarra Mountain as planned.

The road has been restored under single lane closures, reduced speed limits of 40 km/h and alternating stop/slow traffic control.

Transport for NSW has advised motorists to plan for delays of up to 10 minutes.

Access for all heavy and light vehicles to the Southern Highlands remains via the Princes Highway and Picton Road, adding 90 minutes to journey times.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: