The Hawaii Department of Transportation announced on Apr. 24 that Ian Payba and Jeter Hondo, juniors from Maui High School, are the champions of the 2026 Hawaii Bridge Builder Competition.
The competition, held during the 17th Annual Hawaii STEM Conference at the Sheraton Waikiki on Oahu, awarded a $1,000 cash prize to Maui High School. The event is part of a national initiative by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials to encourage students to pursue careers in engineering and problem-solving fields.
Students in grades eleven and twelve from across Hawaii formed teams to design bridges using only balsa wood and glue. They documented their projects, created professional portfolios for industry experts, and tested their bridge designs live at the conference. The competition was hosted by the Hawaii Department of Transportation in partnership with Maui Economic Development Board’s STEMworks program and sponsored by Bentley Systems, which provided modeling software for participants.
“We brought the AASHTO bridge builder competition to Hawai‘i youth to provide the opportunity for outside the classroom experiences in science, technology, engineering and mathematics,” said HDOT Director Ed Sniffen. “As STEM-related jobs account for about one-third of the U.S. workforce, we actively partner with the DOE to prepare our local students for bright futures ahead.”
This year’s finalists included multiple teams from King Kekaulike High School, Maui High School, Keaʻau High School as well as Kaua‘i High School and Lahainaluna High School.
According to the official website, the Hawaii Department of Transportation manages facilities including airports serving domestic and international carriers, commercial harbors and a statewide highway system. The department operates as part of Hawaii’s executive branch government structure across all six major islands; it oversees eleven commercial service airports, four general aviation airports, nine commercial harbors and more than two thousand lane miles of highways statewide. It also collaborates with federal agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration and U.S. Coast Guard along with county planning departments.
HDOT aims “to deliver a safe, efficient, accessible and sustainable transportation system that supports mobility for people and goods while fostering economic growth and quality of life,” according to its official website.
For more information about this year’s Bridge Builder Competition or future events visit: https://stormwatermaui.com/bridge-builder-competition/.
