Slip lane bid to cut Caves congestion

Businesses are calling for Main Roads to ease Yallingup’s congestion woes with a slip lane, as talks of a roundabout hit a dead end.

Caves House manager Neil Jilley said congestion at Caves Road — where the road from Margaret River hits a T-Junction, heading left to Yallingup or right to Dunsborough — was no longer a peak period-only issue, and something needed to be done.

“Every weekend is busy down here now — people come down in winter for the wineries ... and the best surf isn’t necessarily in the summer,” he said.

“It banks up 500m, sometimes 1km, and about a third of that traffic is headed to Yallingup ... so people get frustrated and end up driving along the gravel, creating their own lane to turn left.”

Caves Caravan Park owner Max Brady said the intersection was becoming dangerous.

“People get impatient, they drive up the side and it’s not safe,” he said.

“It wouldn’t take much work or clearing to construct a lane.

“I think it’s definitely doable.”

A transfer of land took place under the previous Government for a roundabout to ease congestion, and $100,000 was allocated last year as part of the WA Safer Roads Program.

However, the Times understands Main Roads met with locals about six weeks ago to inform them the roundabout was not a priority, nor was it in the next financial year’s budget.

Vasse MLA Libby Mettam said a left-hand turning slip lane would be a positive interim step.

She has written to Transport Minister Rita Saffioti requesting support for the project.

The City of Busselton confirmed the responsibility fell to Main Roads, which was contacted for comment but did not respond by deadline.