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PUUNENE - Over the next several months, one of Maui's worst crooks will get straightened out.

Last month, Goodfellow Brothers started construction on a plan to realign a 1,100-foot section of Hansen Road that makes a sharp turn near the Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co.'s mill. Thousands of drivers a day use Hansen Road as a shortcut around the congested Dairy Road and Hana Highway intersection in Kahului.

The road connects Hana Highway and the beginning of Mokulele Highway and will remain a popular shortcut until a long-planned bypass from Kihei to Upcountry is built, said Council Member Mike Victorino.

The Maui County Public Works Department project is meant to coincide with plans by Maui Economic Opportunity to build its long-awaited transit hub, construction of which is set to begin this summer, county officials said.

Public Works Director Milton Arakawa has said that the $1.45 million straightening of Hansen Road will improve safety.

But luckily, it's been some time since a serious accident occurred on the roadway, said Council Member Joe Pontanilla, whose residency seat is Kahului.

The section of road being replaced runs in the area of the Puunene Post Office and a narrow bridge, which will be replaced.

The roadwork will not need a detour because the county's new route will be built separately along a new alignment, he said.

County spokeswoman Mahina Martin said construction was scheduled to be completed by February.

For about a year, contractors have been preparing the site by removing trees, shifting telephone poles and grading the soil.

Several County Council members said the project is much needed and probably should be expanded in the near future to resurface the rugged road. The two-lane road was not built to be a major thoroughfare and lacks wide shoulders.

It's really just an old plantation road, said Council Member Mike Molina.

However, Pontanilla said he doubts that the county will have the money any time soon to resurface all of the pockmarked Hansen Road.

In the meantime, the Hansen Road straightening will be a significant improvement over today, the council members said.

* Chris Hamilton can be reached at chamilton@mauinews.com.