Tourists were back at Peru's ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu Wednesday, officials said, after a protest by residents forced the evacuation of hundreds of stranded visitors.

Access to the site had been blocked since Monday as protesters placed logs and rocks on train tracks to demand their interests be represented in the bidding process for a new bus operator.

Protesters clashed with police, which said 14 officers were injured.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983, the ancient, fortified complex receives around 4,500 visitors a day, many of them foreigners, according to the tourism ministry.

Visitors travel some 110 kilometers (68 miles) by train from the city of Cusco -- the Inca empire's ancient capital -- to the Aguas Calientes train station, then take a bus to the entrance o

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