AASHTO Journal - MoDOT Names Annual Bridge Building Contest Winners

The Missouri Department of Transportation recently honored the high school student winners of its 22nd Annual Bridge Building Competition.

[Above photo by MoDOT]

This yearly competition challenges high school juniors and seniors to design and construct the most efficient model bridge using balsa wood, thread, and glue.

The agency said in a statement that Ste. Genevieve High School, Perryville Area Career, and Technology Center and Chaffee High School received first, second and third place for best overall performance, respectively.

[Editor’s note: The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials hosts a national student bridge-building competition every year at its Spring Meeting. To view winners of the AASHTO 2025 Bridge Challenge, click here. To find out more about the AASHTO technical service program that supports this contest, click here.]

Additionally, students were recognized for building the lightest bridges that carried the greatest loads. Winners included:

1st – Sam Kuehn, Perryville Area Career and Technology Center;
2nd – Linley Wehner, Ste. Genevieve High School;
3rd – Grant Wolk, Ste. Genevieve High School;
4th – Chase Reed, Perryville Area Career and Technology Center; and
5th – Gavin Gegg, Ste. Genevieve High School.

Other awards included the most aesthetic bridge presented to Kyrah Kreitler of Ste. Genevieve High School and the computer-based electronic bridge competition first-place winner, Dylan Jansen of Leopold High School.

Cash prizes for all awards were donated by BFW/Marcum Engineering and Consulting, Cape Area Engineers Club, Cape Noon Optimist Club, Missouri Society of Professional Engineers and Rotary Club of Southeast Missouri Service.

MoDOT added that it partnered with Arkansas State University and the University of Missouri-Columbia to award one-time scholarships to the top contenders at their respective schools.