IRVINE

More of the power lines that tower over city streets should disappear from view in coming years as officials work with Southern California Edison to put the utilities below ground.

Last week, the City Council chose six projects to top the list.

The city should receive $262,000 for underground projects this year, said Kim Barone Scherer, spokeswoman for Southern California Edison. A balance of $700,000 for the city remains from previous years.

Council members agreed that the city should first bury the cables along 1.4 miles of Laguna Canyon Road from the Irvine boundary to Laguna Freeway. The next areas up for aesthetic improvement are the intersections of Barranca Parkway at Red Hill Avenue and Dyer Road and MacArthur Boulevard at Red Hill.

Once funds are found for the Bryan Avenue project, the city will need to find $1.2 million to put power lines below ground in the Irvine Business Complex.

The burial of another 1.5 miles of power lines along Bonita Canyon Road, from Culver Drive to Sunnyhill, is last on the list. The city will need to set aside $2.25 million for the work.