Snowplows and salt trucks shed a new light this season

ISHPEMING — For the Marquette County Road Commission, green is the new amber.

Thanks to a bill signed a couple months ago by Governor Snyder, trucks and plows will now stand out from the rest on the road. House Bill 5247 enables State, County, or Municipal vehicles to use green lights while engaging in certain roadway maintenance activities. Although this bill doesn’t require the change, Road Commission Director of Operations and Maintenance Michael Harrington said they are switching over aggressively due to their routes on fast roads.

“The reason was local contractors, snow plow contractors, the mines, guys plowing around driveway were all running amber lights. It kind the lost the meaning of a municipal vehicle,” Harrington said. “The green lights have also been shown to be more visible, so under a low light or a storm condition, the green light should be more visible to the motoring public. We want people to realize that is a plow truck in front of them, or a salter. To give us some room to do our job.”

The commission will retrofit every truck with a one hundred and fifty dollar green LED light. Harrington said to use caution when you see a green light.