Phil Tickle, who has lived at Siesta Park for more than 60 years and has a major property stake there, including a beachfront holiday resort and service station on the north end of a block which extends south to Vasse-Yallingup Siding Road, says while he stands to be greatly affected by the blue route, it was the best option.

Planned to run parallel to Caves Road, it is the route Main Roads and the Department for Planning and Infrastructure favour, while the shire prefers the orange-red route that follows Vasse-Yallingup Siding Road.

Another long-standing resident, Chip Yelverton, who will be affected by the shire-endorsed route, suggested that consideration should be given to upgrading Caves Road, including passing lanes and dropping the speed limit. A descendent of HenryYelverton, who started a timber industry in Quindalup in the mid 1800s, he said the shire option would dissect his property, parts of which had been in the family for five generations.

Like a number of other farmers and property owners, Mr Tickle will be affected by either of the two routes.

Though upgrading Caves Road would save him losing any of his farming property, he believes it is not the answer, even though his preferred option – the blue route – could impact on his service station at Siesta Park.

Mr Tickle said the sole purpose for designing another direct route from Vasse to Dunsborough was to alleviate current and projected increased traffic pressure on Caves Road.

He was also concerned for the ongoing safety of his guests entering and exiting a very busy highway, not to mention others who lived and holidayed along Caves Road.

He also said he believed the blue route had more merit than the one proposed by the shire for a number of reasons, not the least being it was considerably shorter and would be less disruptive in its construction than the other one, and was the preferred route chosen by MRD engineers.