WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A bipartisan group of more than half the 100-member Senate has urged President Barack Obama to approve the Keystone XL pipeline project, which would connect Canadian oil sands to refineries in Texas.

The letter, signed by 53 senators, came a day after Nebraska's governor approved a revised route for the pipeline to travel through the state while avoiding ecologically sensitive areas.

The senators urged Obama to "finish expeditiously the review process and approve the pipeline" that TransCanada Corp hopes to build.

(Reporting By Timothy Gardner; Writing by Ros Krasny; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick)