Pressroom
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Road infrastructure
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2005-01-21 The Croatian Adriatic closer than ever! With the exceptional dynamic construction of modern highways over the past few years, Croatia has become significantly more accessible to motorized tourists. Large investments have turned the previously old and insufficient road infrastructure, once a shortcoming, into an advantage. Thanks to the network of newly constructed highways, the Croatian Adriatic is closer than ever to tourists from western, central and eastern Europe. With this, Croatia has unquestionably added new value to its attractive tourism, described in the slogan “The Mediterranean as it once was”. And this added value makes tourist destinations – regardless of whether you choose Istria, Kvarner, Dalmatia or the inland regions – more accessible to motorized tourists. By now it is already clear that the plans to construct 450 kilometres of highways and 81 kilometres of fast roads between 2001 and 2005 mark a turning point in the accessibility of Croatia. For the sake of comparison, it is important to note that since 2001, more highways have been constructed than over the last 30 years, between 1970 and 2000. Starting in 2005, plans are in place for the construction of an additional 453 kilometres of highways and 61 kilometres of half-profile highways. In addition to the completion of the Zagreb - Rijeka highway, which has reduced the driving time from the Croatian metropolis to the northern Adriatic to 80 minutes, important news for the residents of Croatia and numerous guests is certainly the recent opening of the highway to Split. This highway has significantly shortened travelling time and made the ride more pleasant, in addition to bringing Dalmatia and its tourism destinations significantly closer to Europe. A substantial portion of the Zagreb - Rijeka highway, which leads to the northern Adriatic, was already constructed earlier, and all that was missing was the 14 kilometre section from Vrbosko to Bosiljevo. With the completion of this final segment, the distance between Zagreb and Rijeka has been reduced to a mere 80 minute drive. One section was opened on the Rupa - Rijeka highway, while completion is expected to the end of June 2005. This is just the beginning of the network of Adriatic highways in the western part of the country and is an important connector of the Croatian highways with the networks in Slovenia and Italy. Upon completion, this highway will permit connections via Matulji with the Istrian « Y highway « and via Orehovica with the Rijeka - Zagreb highway. In later phases, once the highway from Rijeka to Žuta Lokva is completed, this will also be connected to the Zagreb - Split highway. For the residents of Croatia and our guests, particularly those guests who choose Dalmatia as their tourism destination, the opening of a new 177 kilometres of highway from Zagreb to southern Croatia and Split was great news. The total length of the Zagreb - Split highway is 380 kilometres, of which one section (from Zagreb to the Bosiljevo 2 hub) passes along the European Vb corridor (Budapest – Zagreb – Rijeka), thus sharing 67 kilometres with the Zagreb - Rijeka highway. The section from Bosiljevo 2 to Split totals 313 kilometres. The completion of the entire Zagreb - Split highway is planned for 2005, when the remaining 40 kilometres will be opened, as will the 6 kilometre Mala Kapela Tunnel and three sections between Pirovac and Vrpolje, a total length of 34 kilometres. This section will replaced this year by state road D58 which connects at Vrpolje to the new highway sections heading for Split. Also completed are all the necessary exits and entrances to the highway, new viaducts, tunnels and even an artificial tunnel – Osmakovac, which stretches from Dugopolje to Vrpolje - intended for the unhindered passage of wildlife across the highway, as this is their natural migration corridor. Split, however, is not the final destination of this highway, which is planned to be extended to Dubrovnik. |
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Kontakta oss för mer info
Dario Matosevic, chef. Marija Bakovic,
tel + 46 (0)8 53 48 20 80, fax + 46 (0)8 20 24 60
Kungsgatan 24, 111 35 Stockholm
info@visitcroatia.nu