A march has been organized in the local communities of Italy's northwestern Susa valley to protest the building of an Alpine tunnel for the TGV high-speed train.

A 53-kilometre (33-mile) cross-border train tunnel into France is to be cut through the valley, angering people living in the region who question the usefulness, cost and environmental consequences of the project.

Previous demonstrations have drawn tens of thousands of protesters and blocked traffic on motorways and rail lines around Turin, set to host the Winter Olympics in February.

On December 8 several people were slightly injured in scuffles with police.

"There is a risk of new violence," said Interior Minister Giuseppe Pisanu Friday, who also apologized to "peaceful citizens" for the recent disruptions.

Some opponents of the project said they would not take part in Saturday's march, calling it counter-productive, and would only attend a planned community gathering on the outskirts of Turin.

Opposition to the rail link has cast a shadow over the Olympic games due to be held in the Italian Alps from February 10, with fears that access routes to the games' sites could be blocked.

While valley communities are sharply opposed, the proposed rail link is backed by both the Italian and French governments, the European Commission and the region of Piedmont.

However, the government in Rome said last week it would conduct another environmental impact study of the project.

The Turin-Lyon link, considered a key element of a planned network of high-speed railways across Europe, will cost an estimated 12.5 billion euros (15 billion dollars) and is due to be completed by 2020.

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