Thousands of people have marched in Messina, Sicily, to protest a government plan to build a bridge connecting the Italian mainland with Sicily.

The government says the road and rail link will create jobs and lift the region’s economy, but critics are concerned about the environmental and social impact.

Italy cleared the way Wednesday to build the world’s largest suspension bridge linking the Italian mainland with Sicily in a massive 13.5 billion euro ($15.5 billion) infrastructure project that has been long delayed by debates over its scale,