Teen Makes Bridge of Pasta that Holds 650 Pounds

A Bergen County teenager has used less than a pound of pasta to build a bridge that could actually hold the weight of three to four people. 

Each year, Fair Lawn High School math teacher Katie Ometz holds a pasta bridge competition to see which of her students can build a structure that will hold the most weight. The catch – the structures must weigh less than 12 ounces, and be made only from Ronzoni Fettuccini and Elmers White Glue.

Ometz and her students held the competition on Friday, with pretty impressive results. Student Jasmine Ellis won the contest by building an 11.8-ounce bridge that held 650 pounds.

The winning bridge had a simple, stacked pasta design with a triangular support in the center. 

Ometz described the competition as “amazing,” but said that in 16 years of hosting pasta bridge contests, this year did not break the record. A student in 2008 still holds the pasta bridge weight record, building a 12-ounce structure that held 795 pounds.

In addition to the weight category, other awards were given out at this year’s competition. Though not the strongest bridge in the bunch, students Ryan Atkinson, Kimberly McNiff, and Jailene Ramirez were awarded for having the most aesthetically pleasing bridge.