Bellevue City Council members have approved the 2010 Overlay Program, an annual effort to repave city roadways – before they deteriorate to the point when more costly repairs are needed.

This year, about 28 lane miles of roadway will be repaved at several different locations, mostly in the area south of Interstate 90. The work will include 9.2 lane miles of arterial streets and 18.7 lane miles of residential streets.

The total cost of this year’s overlay program is $4.65 million, nearly 23 percent less than the engineer’s estimate of $6.02 million.

In addition to repaving, the contractor, Lakeside Industries Inc., will repair curbs, gutters and sidewalks where needed, and install 144 curb ramps to meet requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. In some locations, crews will also restripe pavement to add bicycle lanes, a cost-saving measure compared to the expense of widening streets to create bike lanes.

Begun in 1982, the intent of the overlay program is to maximize previous investments to the city’s 942 lane miles of roadway by repaving targeted sections before a more costly rebuild is needed. Street segments are reviewed every two years and repaving work is prioritized according to need.