A new tunnel in Split will eventually connect the Ferry Port and the exit below the Koteks skyscraper, which should relieve the traffic unloading from the busy harbor.
Dalmatinski Portal reports on July 30, 2019, that on Tuesday morning, Minister of Transport Oleg Butković was stuck in traffic as he left the port of Split. Namely, as Butković was returning from Korčula and on his way to visit the County Prefect Blaženko Boban, he too had to experience the crowds when leaving the ferry port, which is routine since the new one-way traffic regulation was introduced. Despite all this, Butkovič praised the new regulation, claims Split’s Deputy Mayor Nino Vela.
“The new regulation has had positive effects. The city is less congested than last year. That’s a fact. But the port is overloaded. No capacity can handle ferry traffic. When it is at its peak, unloading passengers is very difficult, and people have to wait. First, we had to make sure that the city functions, and now we have fought so that the port has an additional road. Thus, a 200-meter tunnel (Tunnel Toć) will connect the port and the exit below the Koteks skyscraper,” says Vela. Recall, the Koteks skyscraper is located on Ul. kralja Zvonimira.
Vela explains that it is an idea about ten years old, which will be ‘refined’ with details from the master plan.
“The intervention not big, but it is difficult to perform since it is in a tricky place. The Ministry of Transport would finance the project, i.e., Croatian Roads. They would be the promoters of the project. Everyone understood that it was crucial for this project to be realized. If the procedure is to be initiated in the autumn, and if it is not necessary to make significant changes to the spatial planning documentation, the tunnel could be completed by the end of 2022,” said Vela.
There was also talk about the metro and connecting the Split Airport and Ferry Port.
“Not all segments are connected, so there aren’t many passengers. Everyone is aware of this. The track through Kaštela to the airport needs to be coordinated. That’s seven, eight kilometers missing. HŽ has put a new station and access at Kopilica, but the more important thing is that the project to connect everything is prepared even before the track is built. Thus, HŽ Passenger Transport and Promet agreed on a joint ticket from the Ferry Port to Kaštel Stari, where passengers would board buses to the airport. That could be working next week,” Vela concluded.
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