Signs of progress on the realigning of SH1 at Hihitahi Bluffs (Mulvays Corner) have suddenly become much more visible. The project to rub out the Rangitikei's most notorious road crash black spot began just on a year ago. But until now much of the work has been done away from the presentstretch of highway ? not quite out of sight of the travelling public, but generally having little impact on traffic movements. However, right now signs of the magnitude of the project are showing up at several places along what will eventually be $16 million worth of almost all-new highway. The Hihitahi Bluffs project is one of the costliest roading projects in this region in recent years. It includes three new bridges on the 3.5 km realignment, which will take at least another two years to complete. Construction is in the hands of Auckland-based HEB Construction with its subsidiary, Smithbridge, building the three bridges. The "Hautapu" bridge will be 75m long and 15m above the Hautapu River; the "Hihitahi" bridge will be 125m long and the "Turangarere" bridge the longest at 187m.
