Students in West Virginia middle schools and high schools have until Friday, February 28, 2025, to enter the 2025 West Virginia Bridge Design & Build Contest. Hosted by the West Virginia Department of Transportation (WVDOT) for more than 25 years, registration is entirely free and available on the website wvbridgedesignandbuildcontest.com.

The West Virginia Bridge Design & Build Contest (WVBDB) is a statewide contest intended to conduct outreach to middle school and high school students considering a career track in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) occupations. Students work independently or in teams of two to design the lowest cost bridge using bridge design software updated by WVDOT each year. Students who progress to the final competition also design a balsa bridge.

“It has been wonderful to watch students try their hand at engineering bridges and stay with the contest throughout their middle and high school years,” said Jennifer Dooley, of WVDOT’s Public Relations Division. “We have witnessed students tell us they went to college because of the contest, and that’s very rewarding.”

The qualifying round of the 2025 WVBDB ends on Friday, February 28, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. EST. All individuals/teams must register at https://wvbridgedesignandbuildcontest.com/register/. This will ensure that the correct information is available to contact the finalists. All bridge design files must be uploaded to this website to officially enter the contest. All contest and event updates will also be provided on the website. This ready-to-go STEM activity is entirely free to middle and high school students statewide.

The top 25 (approximate) individuals and teams with the lowest cost designs will be invited to participate in the finals (with at least five middle school individuals and teams) that will be held at the West Virginia University Institute of Technology Campus in Beckley. Finalists will be notified by email the week of Monday, March 3, 2025, with invitation and details of the finals event.

Students in grades 6-12 attending a West Virginia public, private, or home school may enter individually or in teams of one or two. For teams of two, the team captain should be the only one to register. You must include the contact information for you, your parents, and your teacher.