(WWJ) - It's not a sight Michiganders see every day, but over the next week, a giant buzz saw dangling from a helicopter will be making its way over the west side of the state.
The saw is expected to fly over two Michigan counties as it works to trim back trees intruding on high-voltage transmission lines in the area.
"We wanted to give you a literal heads-up on some tree trimming using a helicopter-based aerial saw happening in southwest Michigan next week," Indiana Michigan Power said in a press release. "The work is routine maintenance to remove overhanging or encroaching branches that can interfere with reliable energy delivery."
Crews will trim between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. beginning Tuesday, Feb. 13, with work lasting though Friday, Feb. 16.
The helicopter will fly westward near transmission lines from Hartford Township in Van Buren County to near Lake Michigan in Coloma and Benton townships in Berrien County.
"Aerial trimming is faster and can more easily reach off-road areas than traditional trimming," the company stated.
The electric utility company -- which contracted with Nebraska-based Kiewit Corp. to get the work completed -- shared photos of the giant saw, which sports multiple blades suspended beneath a helicopter by a vertical boom.
"The work is part of I&M’s commitment to providing safe and reliable energy while balancing the importance of trees in our environment," the company, headquartered in Fort Wayne, Ind., stated.
The tree-trimming is weather-permitting, but as WWJ's Tony Ortiz says, the sight is sure to be a "cut above the rest."