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.