Upgrades due for Caves Road

Upgrades to Caves Road between Dunsborough and Yallingup are expected to be undertaken in the next couple of years.

Transport Minister Troy Buswell told a Dunsborough-Yallingup Chamber of Commerce function the section would be a focus for Main Roads WA, following upgrades to the southern section of Bussell Highway.

“Environmentally there doesn’t seem to be too much of a problem, the money is there and it will happen soon,” he said.

Main Roads WA South West operations director Brett Belstead told the Times the agency expected the upgrades to be done in the next two to three years.

During capital works, Caves Road will be widened between Dunsborough and Yallingup to include filled shoulders.

Mr Belstead said land acquisition processes had been happening for some time and while there were funds for pre-construction work, he expected more funding to be available in future budgets.

A roundabout at the intersection after Yallingup Hall is also in the early planning stages.

Mr Buswell told chamber members the roundabout solution to the traffic blackspot at the intersection of Cape Naturaliste Terrace and Caves Road should be completed prior to the 2013 Christmas season.

Two roundabouts will be created – at the intersection of Dunn Bay Road and Cape Naturaliste Terrace, and another along Caves Road.

A budget of $3.1 million has been set aside for the construction and land acquisition costs will bring the total to about $5 million.

“We are on track to start work in the middle of 2013 ... service re-location is expected to start later this year or early next year,” he said.