June the 16th, 2026 – Croatia is finally moving forward with a highway down to Dubrovnik in a massive 468 million euro investment.
As Poslovni writes, following many decades of seemingly endless discussion, delays, and debates, the long-awaited extension of Croatia’s motorway network all the way down toward Dubrovnik in the extreme south is moving closer to coming to fruition.
Croatian Motorways (HAC) is currently busy preparing a major investment worth 468 million euros to construct around 20 kilometres of new motorway that will bring the A1 motorway closer to Croatia’s southernmost city. The project covers two demanding sections: Rudine–Slano, approximately nine kilometres long, and Slano–PUO Mravinjac, which spans approximately 11.5 kilometres. Together, they represent a key part of the future motorway connection all the way south down toward Dubrovnik.
For very many years, Dubrovnik has remained Croatia’s only major coastal city, not to mention its most popular tourist destination, without a direct motorway connection to the rest of the country. While the opening of the Pelješac Bridge improved overall access to the south, this final motorway link remains one of Croatia’s biggest transport priorities, but the challenge now is not simply building a road.
The terrain that extends deep into southern Dalmatia is among the most difficult in Croatia, with rugged mountains, tunnels, and coastal areas creating massive engineering challenges. A significant part of the planned route will require tunnels and viaducts rather than traditional road construction. That complexity is also why the project has become one of Croatia’s most expensive road investments to date.
The motorway extension has previously been described as one of the country’s most technically demanding infrastructure projects, with costs significantly higher than normal motorway construction due to the difficult landscape. Supporters of this enormous but commendable project say the benefits could go far beyond tourism.
A direct motorway connection would improve links for residents, businesses, emergency services, and freight transport, while also reducing pressure on existing coastal roads, especially during the busy summer season. Every single year, millions of visitors travel down to Dubrovnik, but the city’s location has always created logistical challenges unless you’re arriving by plane.
The existing coastal route offers spectacular views, but during peak months it can become heavily congested, creating long travel times and frustration for both locals and tourists and a brand new, modern motorway connection could change that.
It could also strengthen Dubrovnik’s position as a year-round destination rather than a city dependent mainly on summer tourism. However, the project still faces the realities of large-scale infrastructure: construction timelines, permits, and the complexity of working in one of Croatia’s most demanding landscapes. For many, the announcement represents something bigger than a new road, it’s the final piece of a decades-long vision to connect the entire country through a modern motorway network.
A road to Dubrovnik has been promised for generations, and now, after years of waiting and delay after delay, it seems we’re finally getting somewhat closer to completing it.
