The Charmadi ghat road connecting Mangaluru and Chikkamagaluru was cut off for the major portion of 2019 following unprecedented rains, floods, landslides and hill slips.
Vehicular movement was banned for the whole year and heavy vehicles including KSRTC buses bound for South Canara were diverted via Sakaleshpur.
For the last few months, only light motor vehicles (LMV) have been allowed through Charmadi road as road repairs are underway at a snail's pace.
The work is incomplete at curves and at places where landslides had occurred.
The COVID-19 lockdown has become a stumbling block for the repair work. In order to maintain social distancing, labourers are idling at home and the transportation of repair materials has also been hit.
It was believed that the repair work would be completed in another one month and all vehicles would subsequently be allowed. But that appears unlikely now.
Locals are worried as the monsoon season is fast approaching. A resident told The New Indian Express that it will be a nightmarish experience if the road is not restored in good condition before the monsoon as Kottigehara in Mudigere receives the highest rainfall resulting in more landslides on the road without check walls.