The snowplows of Isabella County are getting wings this winter, literally.

Tony Casali, Isabella County Road Commission manager, said the county has attached side wings on their snowplows and they will use liquid calcium chloride to help melt snow faster.

It’s part of the commission’s efforts to use new technologies to lower the cost of keeping Isabella County’s 16 townships and 1,200 miles of roadway safe.

Casali said that the price of gas has gone down, which will help the county, but the price of salt has risen past last year’s cost.

The winged attachments on the vehicle’s side extend the width of the plow’s capabilities. With the wings, said Casali, the plows can cover more area in less time.

They also mean trucks can drive down roads just once and still cover the area.

“Usually we would have to make two passes,” Casali said.

The county also is planning on using a 50/50 salt and sand mixture for the roads. The mix is expected to reduce the amount of salt used while still maximizing the de-icing effect, Casali said.

Liquid calcium chloride works by chemically attracting moisture and releasing heat. It can melt snowfall up to eight times faster when mixed with road salt.

Isabella County organizes the plow routes by primary and secondary roads. Primary roads are generally paved, and secondary roads are generally gravel, Casali said. Primary roads, as well as the “major arteries” like Mission Street come first, Casali said.

They employ 16 to 20 trucks per snowfall, Casali said.

“(We go from) the second week of November, and are prepared up to the second week of April,” Casali said.

Money not used for the winter months is rolled over to the summer budget, and is used for things like patching potholes and rebuilding roads.

John Barker, Union Township Supervisor, said the county takes care of Union Township’s roads, but township offices are plowed independently.

“Small trucks clear snow at (our) operations,” Barker said. Everything else is handled through Isabella County.

Casali said the county is prepared for this winter.

“We manage each storm as it occurs and react accordingly,” Casali said.

For more information about the Isabella County Road Commission and updated on construction visit Isabellaroads.com.

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E-mail the author: Hilary Farrell