Highways in Croatia

Highways in Croatia are the main transport network in Croatia. The Croatian classification includes several classes of highways:

• The main motorways are named A (autocesta) accompanied by one or two digits. By and large they are toll highways with a ticket system.
• Expressways (brza cesta) are limited-access roads with grade-separated intersections and by and large an increased speed limit while no tolling. They remind of the motorways, but aren't always dual carriageways, they have no emergency lanes, and their speed limit is always lower. They either have standalone designations or are parts of major state routes (D), see below.
• Roads dedicated for motor vehicles (cesta namijenjena isključivo za promet motornih vozila), which is a category for highways which are limited-access roads, usually similar to multiple-lane motorways/expressways, but which may have slow intersections. It has no specific naming convention, only a dedicated traffic sign, and it mainly includes major state routes (D) or portions thereof, see below. An example is the Jadranska Avenue in Zagreb, designated as Ž1040 county road.

Other than these, the national road classification includes the following categories which may also be referred to as highways in a general sense, with decreasing order of priority (and applicability of the term highway):

• State roads, which are marked by letter D (državna cesta) and a single, double or triple digit number.
• County roads always are marked by letter Ž (županijska cesta) and a four digit number.
• The lowest classification comprises local roads, marked by letter L (lokalna cesta) and a five digit number.

Road operators differ according to the classification system: The designated motorways are operated by four different concessionaires. The state roads are maintained almost exclusively by Hrvatske ceste, while the county and local roads are managed by various county authorities. The road maintenance agencies are governed by various laws issued by the Parliament as well as bylaws issued by the Ministry of Transport.