"The Bridge On The River Hudson"

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

We can't let this story go today without one more minute on the key player in this scandal, the George Washington Bridge. According to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, it's the world's busiest motor vehicle bridge. Last year, 102 million vehicles crossed it.

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

The suspension bridge spans the Hudson River, and it opened in October 1931. It has exposed supporting steel towers. They were meant to be encased in concrete and granite but the Great Depression got in the way.

CORNISH: It's a model of efficiency, not of romance or of any great legend. Case in point, this anecdote from the recent movie "Inside Llewyn Davis."

(SOUNDBITE OF MOVIE, "INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS")

OSCAR ISAAC: (As Llewyn Davis) I had a partner. Threw himself off the George Washington Bridge.

JOHN GOODMAN: (As Roland Turner) George Washington Bridge? You throw yourself off the Brooklyn Bridge, traditionally. George Washington Bridge? Who does that?

SIEGEL: The bridge does have at least one claim to fame. It's the subject of a song creatively titled "George Washington Bridge," and those are the lyrics, too, all of them. Here's a rendition by Bert and Ernie.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE")

ERNIE: (Singing) George Washington Bridge.

BERT: (Singing) Uh-huh.

ERNIE: (Singing) George Washington, Washington Bridge. George Washington Bridge. George Washington, Washington Bridge.

BERT: (Singing) Ernie.

ERNIE: It gets real sad now, Bert. (Singing) George Washington Bridge.

BERT: Ernie, cut that out.

ERNIE: (Singing) George Washington, Washington Bridge.

BERT: Real cute, Ernie.

ERNIE: But it ends up real happy now, Bert. (Singing) George Washington Bridge.

BERT: Oh, Ernie.

ERNIE: (Singing) George Washington, Washington Bridge.