27th Annual Toothpick Bridge Competition Takes Place at UMD

Many talented students came together to evaluate their engineering capabilities...

DULUTH, Minn. – Toothpicks, sand and more toothpicks. Many talented students came together to evaluate their engineering capabilities at the 27th Annual Toothpick Bridge Competition.

150 students from several area schools created 120 separate bridge projects. Rules have changed this year. The weight limit is now .1 pounds, half of what it used to be…while the bridge was shortened to only 16 inches. It used to be 22 inches.

“First year with the rule changes too so I had a guess, maybe 40, 50 pounds, we have one over 100 pounds already, so it’s surprising how much, it’s fun,” said Chris Morris, Senior Design Engineer for MNDot Highway Department.

Students say it is a sweet opportunity and a great educational event.

“I think it’s awesome and it’s obviously not about building bridges with toothpicks but innovating and kind of like working with what you have and using limited resources. I think it’s a great thing to instill at a younger age,” said Caleb Swanson, a senior in high school.

Schools participating in the competition included Bayfield, Cloquet, Hermantown and Duluth Denfeld.