Local residents are pressing the new government to speed up improvements to Rama II Road which is two years in progress with no sign of completion any time soon.
A group calling itself "Rama II Road Loving Residents" picketed outside Wat Panthai Norasinga in Muang district of Samut Sakhon province to voice their frustration over the slow progress in the road improvement project on Wednesday.
The group put up placards demanding the government hurry the project along, charging that "never-ending" construction has caused dust pollution and traffic gridlock.
The project involves improving the 11-km stretch of road connecting to the Bang Khunthian-Ekkachai ramp. The main section of the road, each in the outbound and inbound directions, is being widened from three to four lanes. The adjacent frontage lanes were also being enlarged.
The work also involves laying a new water drainage pipe and installing more roadside lighting. Bridges crossing Khlong Bang Nam Jued and Khlong Kok Kwai are also being expanded with a U-turn ramp being built over the railway bridge.
The time it has taken, however, has enraged local residents, who through the group, has submitted a letter of complaint with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and the transport minister.
Apichart Pairungrueng, president of the Federation of Land Transport of Thailand who was also at the rally, insisted the protest was not against the project.
He said there appeared to be a long delay in winding down the road improvements, which has crippled traffic. Also, the work has made the road unsafe to use.
If the problem continued unabated, the residents would voice their grievances with the prime minister in person, Mr Apichart said.
Meanwhile, Pol Lt Col Wutthichai Thaweekanchanawat, Samut Sakhon's chief traffic inspector, said the traffic clog-up was particularly bad between the Samae Dum area of Bangkok and the adjoining district of Samut Sakhon.
Police have dispatched a unit to keep track of the traffic situation throughout the day. In the event of car accidents on the road, a fast-deployment police team is on hand to quickly resolve the problem and clear traffic.
The worst-affected spot is around the ramp over the railway bridge where there is a traffic bottleneck.
Pol Lt Col Wutthichai said the police were doing their best to ease traffic congestion in the area.