Italy has cleared the way to build the world’s largest suspension bridge linking the Italian mainland with Sicily.

Thousands of people marched in the Sicilian city of Messina on Saturday to protest a government plan to build a bridge that would connect the Italian mainland with Sicily in a massive 13.5-billion-euro ($15.

Italy has finally approved a €13.5bn (£12bn) plan to build the world’s longest suspension bridge from the mainland to Sicily – an idea first envisaged by the ancient Romans – despite concerns funds will be siphoned off by the mafia.