Carrie Grimmett

Carrie Grimmett said she was amazed when the city repaved Norcross Road three months ago, leaving gravel and tar on the road. She kept waiting for the road to be completely paved.

But it never came and now the road is worse than before, she said.

“It’s like a country road,” said Ms. Grimmett, a hair stylist at Shear Success beauty salon. “We had better roads on Sand Mountain when I lived there. In Alabama.”

During September, the city’s paving department resurfaced six roads using a method called chip seal, which puts a sealant combined with gravel on the road, officials said. It’s a cheaper alternative to paving and is supposed to make roads last longer, they said.

City officials have said the chip-seal program is not a complete repaving of the road, but instead makes roads last longer by sealing them from moisture and the elements.

Critics of the method said it leaves the road too bumpy and creates safety hazards for people driving two-wheeled vehicles such as motorcycles and scooters. Mayor Ron Littlefield suspended the program indefinitely in October because of numerous complaints across the city.

City officials said in October they would restart the program in the spring, but Public Works Administrator Steve Leach said the department has reconsidered that plan.

“We’re obviously not going to look at the high-volume roads we have in the past,” he said.

Mr. Leach said the department made some mistakes when placing the chip-seal surface and has learned more about the process. When next year comes, the city will look more toward alleyways and low-volume roads for chip-seal, he said.

City officials continue to monitor roads that already are chip-sealed, Mr. Leach said, but did not know if they would be repaved.

“We’ll have make a determination in the spring,” he said.

City Councilwoman Sally Robinson said she still receives complaints about the chip-sealed roads, particularly on Atlanta Drive and Norcross Road. She said she understood the city’s need to save money, but city residents have made it clear they do not like the method.

“I personally don’t want it laid down on any more residential roads or streets,” Mrs. Robinson said.

Jeff Dyer, a resident of Norcross Road, said he has called several times to complain about the roads. He does not mind the bumpiness of the road, he said, but he doesn’t like gravel from the road constantly flung into his driveway.

The city has sent sweepers and workers with blowers to correct the problem, he said, but it’s a constant battle between the gravel going into the street, then back into his driveway, then back into the street.

“It’s just a pain,” Mr. Dyer said. “There wasn’t anything wrong with the road before.”