Last Updated on May 8, 2026 5:36 pm
NORTH WILKESBORO – The rumble of construction equipment could be heard on the blacktop of North Wilkesboro Speedway last week as workers from the N.C. Department of Transportation’s Division 11 competed in an annual safety conference.
More than 100 employees from the division – which encompasses Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Caldwell, Surry, Watauga, Wilkes and Yadkin counties – gathered at the conference on April 30 to test their safety procedures and mechanical skills on equipment used to maintain and repair roads.
“This conference gives our employees a chance to showcase their skills while reinforcing their commitment to safety,” said Justin Detter, safety consultant for Division 11. “More than a quarter of our workforce participated in the ROADEO this year and we’re grateful for their dedication to safety for themselves and the travelling public.”
Nicknamed the “ROADEO,” each challenge at the conference tests the skill and precision of the operator, from navigating an obstacle course on a tractor mower or using a backhoe to pick up golf balls with a spoon attached to the bucket.
Bobby Edwards, shop supervisor at the Alleghany County Equipment Unit, earned first place in the tractor-mower competition this year. It’s the second time he’s won the category at the Division 11 ROADEO, and his fifth win at the conference since 2017.
“It builds a lot of camaraderie,” Edwards said. “You get to see friends and faces you don’t get to see every day. For the equipment guys … it gets you in the mindset of how the equipment works, why it works and what we need to do to make it better for our guys running it on a daily basis.”
The following employees will advance to a statewide competition later this summer:
- Crane: Chris Welch, Watauga County Bridge Maintenance
- Single Axle Dump Truck: Jay Minor, Alleghany County Maintenance
- Tandem Dump Truck: Zach Welborn, Caldwell County Maintenance
- Low-boy: Jonas Staley, Wilkes County Bridge
- Backhoe: Barry Stockner, Surry County Maintenance
- Motor grader: Justin Wyatt, Yadkin County Maintenance
- Tractor mower: Bobby Edwards, Alleghany County Equipment
- Skid steer: Kerry Russell, Surry County Maintenance
