What's Happening in Farmington Hills, MI…

With what may be another harsh winter looming, Farmington Hills residents and others in Oakland County have a reason to smile.

The county road commission recently added wing plows to 12 of its trucks, and plans to add the plows to six more trucks soon.

A wing plow is a large snowplow blade attached to the side of a truck. When it is in use, the wing plow extends at an angle from the side of the vehicle. The use of the wing plows allows a truck to plow an additional six feet of road. When the wing plows are not in use, they are retracted and lie flat next to the side of the truck.

Darryl Heid, director of the highway maintenance department for the Road Commission of Oakland County (RCOC), says the plows will be used mostly in the effort to clear freeway on- and off-ramps, and to plow the shoulders of both primary roads and freeways. Heid says the wing plows will allow the trucks to make one pass and clear as much snow as they would if they made two passes without the new plows.

Heid did warn motorists against passing a snowplow on the right, stating drivers will not know if the truck has the wing plows deployed, especially if it is operating in blowing snow.

County officials might work with a flyer printing company to create a mailer for residents, explaining the new equipment and warning of the dangers presented by the plows.