A southern Illinois lawmaker's push to improve safety on two narrow Mississippi River bridges linking Illinois and Missouri is advancing.

The Illinois House on Thursday unanimously signed off on Republican state Rep. Ron Stephens' call for the Illinois Department of Transportation to consider installing crossover barriers on the Martin Luther King and McKinley bridges.

The King bridge links East St. Louis and St. Louis, while the McKinley runs from Venice to St. Louis.

The resolution comes after the Belleville News-Democrat reported that at least 13 people have died in wrecks on the King bridge since 1998. Five have died on the McKinley during the same period.

IDOT has said it'll do what's necessary to continue motoring public safety on Illinois bridges and roads.