Ignoring a White House veto threat, the House on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed legislation designed to shore up the federal Highway Trust Fund with $8 billion in general revenue.

Despite the president’s threat and opposition from some Republicans, the House passed the bill 387-37.

“I wish as one of the strongest conservatives in the House to have some other alternative to bring you today, but I do not have that,” John L. Mica , R-Fla., the ranking Republican on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said.

The Highway Trust Fund earlier was expected to have a $3 billion shortfall in 2009, but new estimates scheduled to be released next week show that figure could increase to $6 billion as Americans drive less in response to $4 per gallon gasoline prices. The trust fund is financed through an 18.4-cents-per- gallon excise tax on gasoline.

Unless more revenue becomes available, hundreds of projects authorized in the 2005 highway law could not start and ones already in progress could have to be stretched out.

The White House said in a statement of administration policy that Congress needs to come up with a better way to refill the trust fund.

“This bill is both a gimmick and a dangerous precedent that shifts costs from users to taxpayers at large,” the White House said. “Moreover, the measure would unnecessarily increase the deficit and would place any hope of future, responsible constraints on highway spending in jeopardy.”

The Bush administration had suggested borrowing $3.2 billion from the federal mass transit account to cover the highway shortfall, but that was quickly rejected by most lawmakers.