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EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. - Transportation officials are weighing whether to add a fifth lane to a frequently congested, 49-year-old Mississippi River bridge linking Illinois to St. Louis.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the proposed $21 million effort to widen the Poplar Street Bridge soon could entail picking up and sliding the eastbound lanes to add a new lane down the middle of the span.

The idea was developed by HDR Engineering, which considers the effort relatively simple and quick.

A final vote on the matter is scheduled for January.

The bridge is just one of two in the nation that accommodate three freeways.

The proposed work wouldn't begin before a new Mississippi River Bridge being built to the north of the Poplar Street span is opened to traffic in early 2014.