PORTLAND, Maine (AP) A federal judge has declined to intervene to stop construction of a 145-mile electricity transmission corridor aimed at bringing Canadian hydropower to the New England grid.

Three conservation groups sought a preliminary injunction to allow them time to argue for the Army Corps of Engineers should have performed a more rigorous environmental review.

The lawsuit will proceed, but so will construction under the judge’s decision Wednesday.

The project’s developers praised the judge’s decision and said ground will be broken on the project “in the coming weeks.”