WASHINGTON, Oct. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25: GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE

Profile America — Thursday, October 25th.  One of the most traveled bridges in the U.S is celebrating its 81st birthday today — the graceful George Washington Bridge, linking New York and New Jersey.  When it opened in 1931, it was the world's longest suspension bridge.  The designer, Othmar Ammann, had the foresight to build in expansion potential to handle increased traffic.  In 1946, two lanes were added to its original six.  Then, in 1962, a six-lane lower deck was added.  Today, the bridge carries some 300,000 cars each day.  Across the U.S., there are just over 600,000 bridges, some 25 percent of them rated as obsolete or having structural problems.  Profile America is in its 16th year as a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau.

Sources:  American Speaker Calendar of Events
               www.panynj.gov/bridges-tunnels/gwb-history.html
               Statistical Abstract of the United States 2012, t. 1090

Profile America is produced by the Center for New Media and Promotions of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button). 

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau