Blowing and drifting snow on Thursday afternoon created such dangerous driving conditions on Airport Road in Waterford Township, the county road commission briefly shut down the road.
“We plowed the drifted snow. We don’t do this very often, but do it occasionally as needed, said Craig Bryson, road commission spokesman, adding that a road grader and a plow truck were used to clear the road.
“The blowing wind is a serious problem there, definitely, and I would encourage people to use one of the other north/south roads in the area during high-wind periods, such as Williams Lake or Crescent Lake,” he said.
The road commission used to install snow fencing along the road next to the airport, he said, but new U.S. Federal Aviation Administration rules now bar that method.
An estimated 15,000 vehicles use Airport Road between Highland and Hatchery Roads.
Airport officials took to social media to share details of the FAA rules.
The area extending 1,000’ from either end of a runway is the Runway Safety Area (RSA) as defined by the FAA. In 2020, the FAA mandated the runway safety area — 1,000 feet from either end of a runway — must remain object free.
“Unfortunately, alternative methods have proven unsuccessful to date,” airport officials wrote.