A1 (Croatia)

Infobox European road
marker_



name="Dalmatina"
eroad=
length_km=416.0
plalength=convert|553.7|km|abbr=on|lk=on
starting_terminus=Zagreb
junction=
ending_terminus=Dubrovnik
countries=Croatia
regions=Zagreb, Zagreb County, Karlovac County, Lika-Senj County, Zadar county, Šibenik-Knin County, Split-Dalmatia County, Dubrovnik-Neretva County
cities=Zagreb, Karlovac, Zadar, Split, Ploče, DubrovnikThe A1 highway ( _hr. Autocesta A1), is a highway in Croatia. It currently measures 416 km from Zagreb (Lučko interchange) via Split to Šestanovac. It is scheduled to reach Ploče in 2008 and later Dubrovnik.

The A1 is generally considered to be one of the Croatia's main trunk roads, as it connects the country's continental part and the capital Zagreb with the Croatian coast and the second-largest city, Split. It is the first highway ( _hr. autocesta) to cross the mountainous Dinaric Alps (Lika) of the country.

A1 is a toll highway. The section from Lučko interchange to the Bosiljevo interchange is operated by Autocesta Rijeka-Zagreb d.d. and the section from Bosiljevo to Šestanovac exit is operated by HAC.

Characteristics

The highway consists of two travel lanes and an emergency lane in each direction in its full length. The only exceptions currently are the Mala Kapela Tunnel and the Sveti Rok Tunnel, where their second respective tubes remain unfinished. Their completion and opening is planned for 2009. Both tunnels have the peculiarity of separating two distinct climate zones. Mala Kapela tunnel lies between the continental climate of central Croatia and the mountain climate of the Gorski Kotar, while Sveti Rok tunnel presents a link between Gorski Kotar with its mountain climate and the Mediterranean climate of Dalmatia.

Almost all interchanges are trumpets, except Lučko (stack) and Žuta Lokva interchange (directional T).

The highway offers a scenic drive through rolling hills in the north, mountains in its central section, and runs along the Dalmatian coast in the south. It passes through or near several national parks - the Plitvice Lakes and the Krka National Park. There are numerous service areas alongside the highway. On the downside, the holiday-season queues for the route's tollbooths and tunnels can be truly immense, a problem much enhanced by the inflexible (Saturday-to-Saturday only) approach adopted as regards tourist stays at Croatia's coastal resorts.

History

The A1 was the showpiece project of the Croatian government. The first section from Zagreb to Karlovac was built in the 1970s, but the construction was soon stopped. An attempt to revive it occurred in the 1990s when the drilling of the Sveti Rok Tunnel began. More massive construction ensued since the beginning of the 2000s, culminating with the grand opening of the section Karlovac-Split on June 26, 2005. The section between Split and Šestanovac opened on June 27, 2007.The construction cost for the Karlovac-Split part was 17 billion kuna (about € 2.2 billion). [ [http://www.hac.hr/ Hrvatske autoceste d.o.o ] ]

Further construction

Since the opening of the Zagreb-Split section, the construction has continued towards Dubrovnik. Completion as far as Ploče is scheduled for December 2008 (60 km). The route the A1 is to follow past Ploče has not been fixed yet as several options exist.

It is likely that the Pelješac bridge will be incorporated into the highway. Bosnia and Herzegovina's authorities are opposed to this alignment. There is also the possibility of a deal with Bosnia and Herzegovina that would permit the A1 to run partly through a small strip of its territory at Neum (as it was originally planned) and then continue further to Dubrovnik, though that version incorporates the Neum border crossing, which has become a taboo for Croatian highway and road authorities since the indepedence of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The route planned by HAC incorporates the A1 highway over the Pelješac bridge with an optional expressway across Bosnia and Herzegovina. One version also has the highway stop at Ploče at the interchange with A10 highway (Corridor Vc) and an expressway continue south to Dubrovnik. Currently, the state route D8 remains the fastest route south of Šestanovac and Ploče.

Exit list

Gallery

References

External links

* [http://motorways-exitlists.com/europe/hr/a1.htm Exit list of A1]
* [http://www.hac.hr/ HAC]