January the 8th, 2025 – The most expensive Croatian motorway to date is set to be constructed. It will lead from Metković to Dubrovnik, and it will cost way over a staggering billion euros.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, a motorway leading from Metković down to Dubrovnik will be constructed over two phases. It will lead from Metković to the Pelješac Bridge and then from Dol all the way down to Dubrovnik. The second section is actually going to be the first part to be constructed.
HRT has revealed that it will be the most expensive Croatian motorway yet, carrying an estimated price tag of one billion and two hundred thousand euros.
The start of works on the most expensive Croatian motorway yet depends on the completion of public tenders and the obtaining of various necessary permits. The most optimistic version of the planned saga claims that the works should begin this year and be completed in 2029. The biggest problem is that there’s currently no expressway from Dubrovnik to the airport and then south to the nearby border with Montenegro.
As many as 19 of the total 28 kilometres of the section will regard viaducts and tunnels, and work should begin soon on the section from Rudin to Slano and then from Slano to Mravinjaci.
This enormously expensive Croatian motorway is going to be built on some very demanding terrain, also passing through a very narrow area. On one side there will be the sea, and on the other the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“This is practically the worst possible terrain for any kind of motorway construction. The elements themselves indicate how many viaducts, bridges and tunnels will be needed, and it’s also a heavily populated area. That means that the amount of junctions will be important, as will the connection to make sure the road’s full functionality is utilised,” said Associate Professor Marko Ševrović from the Faculty of Transport Sciences at the University of Zagreb.
According to the current plan, everything should be completed by 2029. The city and county leadership down in Dubrovnik-Neretva County believe that we’ll see a quick start to these demanding works.
“It has been announced that the tender will be closed this month. At the beginning of next month, the contractor will be selected and we hope that there will be no complaints or appeals lodged, though we obviously can’t rule that out entirely. We want to believe that we’ll physically start work on this section this year. It’s very expensive, but connecting Dubrovnik with the rest of Croatia geo-strategically, economically and safely is priceless,” emphasised the Prefect of Dubrovnik-Neretva County, Nikola Dobroslavić.
With the construction of the most expensive Croatian motorway, long and burdensome traffic jams that southern Croatia has become known for should become a thing of the past. The number of traffic accidents will also decrease.
“I’d say that perhaps the most important aspect of this new motorway is certainly traffic safety. We can see that this section of the D8 state road is actually very dangerous. Accidents often occur on it. I think that if for no other reason, we need this motorway for that reason. Of course, we also need to connect Dubrovnik with the rest of the motorway network throughout Croatia,” said Ševrović.
A total of 47 kilometres of motorway will thus be built from Metković down to Dubrovnik, with almost 15 kilometres of connecting roads accompanying it.
