On May 21, public works staff from around the state journeyed to the city of Jackson in southwestern Minnesota for the annual Minnesota Roadway Maintenance Training and Demo Day. The event was held at the Jackson campus of Minnesota West Community & Technical College.
To begin the day, around 90 attendees received local road maintenance updates and training refreshers through a series of presentations provided by expert instructors. General sessions focused on load securement, temporary traffic control, and chainsaw safety.
First, MnDOT and MnLTAP trainer Matt Wessling talked about appropriate work-zone layouts as described in the “Minnesota Temporary Traffic Control Field Manual.” The manual, which is expected to be updated later this year, is based on a portion of the larger “Minnesota Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.” Wessling offered several traffic control scenarios along with personal anecdotes and practical tips to highlight key provisions in the manual. In particular, he stressed the legal responsibility that comes with the job and the care needed by each worker to avoid lawsuits due to errors or omissions. “Our goal is just to make sure that every worker, every pedestrian, every bicyclist, every motorist that’s going through your temporary traffic control zones is safe,” Wessling said.
Next, Sgt. Patrick Fay with the commercial vehicle enforcement division of the Minnesota State Patrol discussed regulations, common violations, and load securement basics. He emphasized compliance with regulations for size and weight limits, seat belts, and cell phone use — for commercial driver’s license holders, both minor and severe infractions can lead to significant penalties. An example Sgt. Fay shared is the zero-tolerance policy for consuming alcohol within 24 hours of driving. He also explained the importance of pre-trip inspections, proper brake maintenance, and load securement to prevent crashes and violations. He shared stories of his experience on the job to illustrate just what can go wrong as a result of shoddy vehicle maintenance, carelessness, and inattention while driving, occasionally with deadly consequences.
“We do [enforcement] for the safety aspect,” Fay said. “I want to go home every day, and I want to make sure that everybody else goes home every day.”
Finally, chainsaw safety instructor Alex Bildeaux returned to Demo Day to give an overview of safety features, proper handling, Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations, common mishaps, and effective safety apparel. He also eagerly demonstrated felling two trees for a large group of attendees later in the day at a city site on the edge of town.
Bildeaux, who has been operating chainsaws since the age of 10, brought with him a lifetime of experience with the equipment, how it has improved, and most importantly, how to use it safely. “These saws are so powerful in these little bitty packages,” he noted. “It’s absolutely amazing.”
He explained that a full set of chainsaw safety apparel is well worth the price — much less expensive than accidents themselves. “Did you know the average cost of a chainsaw accident is $10,000? And that’s just in hospital costs,” Bildeaux pointed out. “For every dollar you spend in the hospital, seven to nine times that is what the actual accident costs … I could outfit everybody here [with safety gear for the cost of] one accident.”
To conclude the morning session, the Roads Scholar Program awarded certificates to the six graduates in attendance (a total of 44 completed training requirements during 2025). The program offers professional development through structured coursework, supporting local agency staff in building technical expertise.
In the afternoon, participants broke into smaller groups for short outdoor demonstration sessions. In addition, an equipment showcase gave attendees the opportunity to explore innovations developed by a few neighboring road agencies, including the Jackson County Pull-Behind Paver Patcher and the City of Rochester Plow Truck Pre-Wet Nurse Tank.
Demo Day was held in Jackson as part of an effort by MnLTAP to make cost-effective training available throughout the state. Prior events have been held in St. Paul, Rosemount, Rochester, Mankato, Alexandria, Camp Ripley near Little Falls, Bemidji, Brainerd, and Cloquet.
The event is sponsored by MnLTAP, MnDOT, the Minnesota Local Road Research Board, and the Federal Highway Administration, in partnership with the Minnesota Chapter of the American Public Works Association and the Minnesota Street Superintendents Association.
