SALEM: Commuters using the Advaitha Ashram Road in Ward 17 of Salem City are having a tough time as the entire road has been dug up for underground drainage (UGD) works.
The once-busy link connecting Omalur Main Road and Saradha College Road now lies uneven and broken, forcing pedestrians and motorists to navigate through loose gravel and mounds of earth.
J Karthika, who takes the stretch to go to the New Bus Stand, said the condition of the road makes it difficult even to walk.
"The whole stretch is covered in stones and dust. I have to watch every step to avoid tripping. When vehicles pass, the dust just blows into our faces. If it rains, it will become impossible to walk - the entire stretch will turn muddy and slippery," she said.
Two-wheeler riders too are finding it difficult. R Pradeep Kumar, who runs a small clinic in the locality, said his daily ride has become risky.
"I have to ride slowly and balance carefully to avoid hitting uneven patches," he said, adding that rains will make the road completely unmotorable.
"If it starts raining before they finish the work, the water will stagnate everywhere," he added.
Ward 17 councillor D Rajeswari said the road has been dug up for UGD pipeline installation as part of a project sanctioned at a cost of Rs 1.56 crore.
"A total of eight streets, including Brindavan Road and Park Road, are covered under this project. The work here has started and will be completed in about two weeks, after which the roads will be relaid," she said.
Officials explained that roads have to be excavated to lay underground pipelines, and the road will be levelled once the works are completed.
However, residents and commuters have urged the Salem City Municipal Corporation to level the dug-up portions temporarily to make the stretch safer until restoration begins.