According to the need of cultivation of civil engineering multi-objective versatile and practical talents, the PBL model which is aimed at cultivating students' engineering ability was applied in the teaching of bridge engineering design. The implementation steps and problems in the application of PBL model were discussed. The curriculum design took the project as a carrier and interweaved the theoretical teaching. It has been proved that the application of PBL in the teaching of bridge engineering design played a positive role in improving teaching quality and developing students' practical abilities and creative spirits.