Bridges are essential to our nation's infrastructure. How would you span a freeway, a deep canyon gorge, a river or an ocean waterway?

We invite middle and high school teachers in North Carolina to participate in the North Carolina Department of Transportation Statewide Model Bridge Building Competition. The competition is designed to create a greater awareness of careers in transportation, construction, engineering and the services provided by the NCDOT.

The NCDOT Statewide Model Bridge Building Competition gives students an opportunity to learn problem-solving strategies and utilize critical thinking skills, while making the connection between what is taught in the classroom and real world applications. Working in teams, students will look at the methods of brainstorming ideas, designing a diagram, constructing the model and will have the satisfaction of presenting the results of their ideas to a panel of judges. This competition is a collaborative effort between NCDOT, students and teachers who will work together to exchange ideas and build cooperation.

This competition is about more than building a bridge. It's about education, communication, careers and service to the public. We believe students will best experience tomorrow's career opportunities by working with industry professionals to apply technical applications to today's problems.