George Washington Bridge

October 24, 2009

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Profile America — Saturday, October 24th. One of the most traveled bridges in the U.S. is celebrating its 78th birthday this weekend — 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 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, including north-south traffic on Interstate 95. Across the U.S., there are nearly 600,000 bridges, some 26 percent of them rated as obsolete or having structural problems. Profile America is in its 13th year as a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau.

Sources: www.nycroads.com/crossings/george-washington
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2009, t. 1050
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2009edition.html