Plans to develop an "Interstate 376 Corridor" along the Parkway West and other highways moved ahead yesterday with U.S. House passage of technical corrections to a highway funding bill.

U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire, D-McCandless, successfully moved to clarify the future I-376 corridor designation in the final version of federal transportation funding legislation known by its acronym, SAFETEA-LU. It now goes to President Bush.

The change removes current U.S. Route 422 from the official definition of I-376. A two-mile section of the highway overlaps with Route 60 in Lawrence County, creating confusion in the planning process.

"This technical correction is an important step forward in the I-376 designation project, which is going to be a powerful economic development tool for Western Pennsylvania," Mr. Altmire said. "Pittsburgh International Airport is the only major airport not on a federal interstate" -- a situation that would change when the Parkway West and Airport Expressway become part of I-376.

Last year, Mr. Altmire obtained $750,000 toward the cost of safety upgrades to the Route 60/422 interchange in Union Township, Lawrence County.

Those and similar improvements, like the "missing ramps" and widening work that the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is doing at the I-79/Parkway West interchange, are required by the Federal Highway Administration as a condition for final approval of the I-376 designation.

When the change takes place in several years, I-376 will stretch from the Monroeville interchange of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, through Pittsburgh, to the New Castle/Beaver Valley interchange of the current Route 60 toll road and then north to Route 422 near New Castle.

The highway currently has a hodgepodge of designations: I-376, I-279, Route 22-30, Route 60 and the two-mile Route 422 overlay that will be wiped out as a result of Mr. Altmire's action.

The first "Future I-376 Corridor" sign was unveiled by a group of public officials on April 19, 2006.