Highways in Croatia

Highways in Croatia are the main roads that help people and goods move around the country. These roads are organized into different types to make travel easier and safer.

The most important roads are called motorways and start with the letter A (for autocesta). These roads are special because they have no crossings with other roads and you need to pay tolls to use them. They are very fast and smooth for driving.

There are also roads called expressways. These are not tolled and have some crossings, but they are still fast roads with higher speed limits than normal roads. They might not have extra lanes for emergencies and can be a bit narrower than motorways.

Other roads include state roads, county roads, and local roads. Each type has its own number and sign so drivers know where they are going. Different groups take care of building and fixing these roads, following rules made by the government.

Motorways

The main high-speed roads in Croatia are called autoceste. These roads have at least three lanes in each direction, including a special lane for stopping emergencies, and the speed limit is at least 80 kilometres per hour (50 mph). They have unique road signs, just like motorways in other parts of Europe. The network of these roads in Croatia is 1,360.5 kilometres (845.4 mi) long.

The rules for these roads and their names are set by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure.

History

When Croatia became independent in 1991, it had only a few motorways. These included roads like Rijeka–Kikovica, Zagreb–Karlovac, and Zagreb–Slavonski Brod. There was a big dream to connect Zagreb and Split with a motorway, but this couldn’t happen while Croatia was part of former Yugoslavia.

In 2005, the motorway between Zagreb and Split was finally built. The A1 motorway was also extended towards Dubrovnik, and the A3 motorway was extended to connect Zagreb with borders near Serbia and Slovenia. Other motorways like the A6 from Zagreb to Rijeka, the A4 to the northeast, and the A2 to the northwest were also built. The A9 near Pula was mostly finished too.

Building new motorways slowed down in the 2010s, but it still continues. As of 2021, work was happening on the Cerovlje–Rijeka part of the A8. The A1 motorway is still not fully finished, as plans exist to extend it from Ploče to Dubrovnik.

Operators

The highway network in Croatia is managed by three companies. One of these companies is fully controlled by the government, while the other two are run as joint ventures.

Motorways and sections

Motorway sections under construction

Planned motorway sections

Traffic cost revenue

In 2022, the motorway network saw about 80 million vehicles, with most being cars and some larger trucks.

The cost to drive on these roads was about 9 euros for every 100 kilometers for cars and around 39 euros for trucks, depending on the toll system used. This brought in around 426 million euros in that year.

Accidents

Most serious accidents on these roads happened between July and October each year.

Expressways

Croatia has many types of expressways. These roads differ in how many lanes they have, how people can join them, and what kind of crossings they use. Some expressways have four lanes and special crossings without traffic lights, while others in cities have more lanes and many traffic lights. There are also two-lane roads with special crossings. Some of these expressways are parts of bigger motorways being built step by step, and others are regular roads made better for faster travel.

Usually, expressways do not charge a fee to drive on them, but big tunnels on these roads may have a fee.

State roads

State roads are important routes that connect different parts of a country. In Croatia, these roads have numbers with one, two, or three digits.

Numbers 1 to 9 are for long roads that connect to other countries. Numbers 10 to 99 are for main roads on the mainland. Numbers starting with 100 are for roads on islands. Numbers starting with 200 are for roads that lead to border crossings. Numbers starting with 300 connect towns to big highways. Numbers starting with 400 lead to ports and airports. Numbers starting with 500 connect different state roads together. Numbers starting with 600 are temporary numbers for new roads.

Tolls

In Croatia, most highways use a system where drivers pay based on how far they travel and the type of vehicle they use. When entering the highway, drivers get a card or have a record made on a special device. They pay at the exit based on the distance they traveled. There are a few places where a different payment system is used.

Safety

Croatia had about 70 road deaths for every million people in 2022. This number helps show how safe the roads are in the country.