King County will try to make North Highline more appealing for annexation by tripling the number of streets to be repaved this summer and doubling progress on sidewalk construction.

The county plans to lay new asphalt on more than 100 blocks of streets and pour 20 blocks of new sidewalks in White Center and Boulevard Park. An asphalt pathway and some new wheelchair ramps are in the works too.

The pavement "overlays" are scheduled for completion by mid-October. The pedestrian improvements are to be installed next year.

"For a city, that might be an attractive thing," said Linda Dougherty, director of the King County Roads Services Division, referring to North Highline being considered for annexation by the cities of Burien and Seattle. Dougherty spoke before the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council on July 6.

Every year, King County road inspectors check the condition of particular sections of county roads, Dougherty said. They use a rating system to determine which roads get priority for repair.

Besides providing a smoother driving surface, pavement overlays also keep moisture out of the road base and help prevent erosion of the road's underpinnings, Dougherty said. The county's goal is to overlay roads at least once every 12 years, she added.

New pavement is scheduled to be installed on Southwest 98th Street, from 21st to 26th avenues southwest.

More pavement is planned for Southwest 102nd Street between Fourth and 14th avenues southwest.

Other places around North Highline scheduled for pavement overlays include:

- Third Avenue Southwest from Southwest 108th to 110th streets

- Southwest 110th Street from First Avenue South to Fourth Avenue Southwest

- Southwest 112th Street from First Avenue South to Fourth Avenue Southwest

- Southwest 116th Street from Fifth Avenue South to 12th Avenue Southwest

- Southwest 120th Street from Fourth to 12th avenues southwest

- Southwest 122nd from First Avenue South to Fourth Avenue Southwest

- First Avenue South from 128th Avenue South to Myers Way at about South 99th Street

- West Marginal Place South from 14th Avenue South to the Tukwila city limits.

About 20 blocks of new sidewalks are scheduled to be built in White Center next year.

One strip of new sidewalk is to be installed on 28th Avenue Southwest between Southwest 104th and 116th streets.

Another sidewalk will be put on Southwest 98th Street, approximately from 10th to 18th avenues southwest.

An asphalt pathway is scheduled to be installed on Military Road South, just north of South 116th Street.

Four wheelchair ramps are to be installed at the intersection of Southwest 116th Street and Fourth Avenue Southwest.

The county also plans to combat a problem with motorists passing on the right on 14th and 15th avenues southwest. Outside lane stripes will be painted along the edge of the travel lanes.

Back-in parking on 16th Avenue drew questions from North Highline Council members. Some White Center business owners have complained to King County about the new parking arrangement and urged that front-in parking be restored.

Some council members worried about the safety of back-in parking for disabled people getting in and out of cars.

Dougherty said the county changed the parking arrangement to help make White Center's business district safer. It will take three years of data collection to evaluate whether back-in parking causes fewer accidents than front-in parking, she said. So back-in parking will continue at least until mid-2008.

The issue of replacing the South Park Bridge came up too.

Dougherty said the latest estimated cost of replacing the span across the Duwamish River is over $90 million. Previous estimates were around $80 million.

King County owns the bridge but has argued the structure is part of the regional transportation system, so other governments should help pay for it.

So far the county has budgeted about $12 million from the county road levy. The city of Tukwila contributed $3 million and the federal government is willing to kick in $3 million.

County officials hope the remaining money for replacing the South Park Bridge can come from voter approval of a regional transportation improvement package that could be on the ballot in the fall.

The King County Roads Services Division collects about $15 million per year from the state tax on gasoline, Dougherty said.

Tim St. Clair can be reached at tstclair@robinsonnews.com or 932-0300.