Getting the Green LightMONROE COUNTY -- A federal judge has refused to halt a controversial plan to widen an 18-mile stretch of U.S. 1 linking the mainland to the Florida Keys. A coalition of environmental groups and Monroe County civic groups have long opposed the project, fearing it will damage the ecosystem and lead to increased development. State officials say the widening is necessary to improve hurricane evacuations and to reduce accidents on one of the state's most dangerous roadways.