The Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) has introduced a new tool in the effort to fight snow more efficiently: the wing plow.
Wing plows are large plows attached to the sides of snowplow trucks. When in use, the plow extends out from the side of the truck on an angle, allowing the truck to clear an additional six feet of roadway. When not in use, the plow is retracted and stored next to the truck, the press release stated.
RCOC truck equipped with a wing plow
RCOC currently has 12 plow trucks equipped with wing plows, with another six expected to arrive in coming months.
“The wing plows will be used primary to more efficiently clear freeway ramps and shoulders on both freeways and primary roads,” explained RCOC Highway Maintenance Department Director Darryl Heid. “Essentially, with the wing plow in use, we accomplish with one pass of the snowplow truck what used to take us two,” Heid added.
However, Heid warned motorists that passing a snowplow on the right side is always a bad idea, and it’s particularly dangerous when a wing plow is being used. “You may not be aware that the truck is equipped with a wing plow, especially if there’s a large cloud of snow being kicked up,” he said. “You may not even be able to see the wing plow until you are almost on top of it. It’s simply best never to try to pass a snowplow on the right.”
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