(Adds details, background) ROME, March 17 (Reuters) - Italy's...

(Adds details, background)

ROME, March 17 (Reuters) - Italy's audit court said on Thursday it had approved the sale of Atlantia's unit Autostrade per l'Italia (ASPI) to a group of investors, paving the way for a deal worth more than 8 billion euros ($8.87 billion).

Atlantia ATL.MI signed an agreement in June to sell its controlling stake in Autostrade to a consortium which includes state lender Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) and investment funds Blackstone BX.N and Macquarie (MQG) .

The approval comes after magistrates asked top government officials to appear before them for clarifications regarding the deal, two sources close to the matter told Reuters on Wednesday.

Atlantia, controlled by the Benetton family, said the closing of the deal would require up to 30 days after the court's approval.

The sale of ASPI is the latest development of a dispute between Atlantia and the Italian authorities that started in 2018 after the collapse of a motorway bridge in which 43 people died.

Autostrade per l'Italia has proposed to pay 1 million euros as a settlement and 26 million euros in compensation to the Italian state for a case related to the disaster, while sister company SPEA has offered 810,000 euros. ($1 = 0.9020 euro)