A1 (Croatia) - Further Construction

Further Construction

The ultimate southern terminus of the motorway has been established by applicable legislation to be near Dubrovnik. As of August 2012, Vrgorac–Ploče section of the A1 motorway, approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) long, is under construction since 2008. Its completion was originally slated for 2009, but postponed several times due to insufficient funding. Furthermore, on 15 May 2007, the Croatian and Bosnia-Herzegovina signed a Protocol on cooperation that defined the contact point of the Croatian and Bosnian-Herzegovinian motorways on the Corridor Vc, which caused a significant alteration of the A1 route near Vrgorac as well as a complete revamp of planned A10 motorway route. As of August 2012, the section to Ploče is expected to be complete by the end of 2012, and the construction works are performed by a consortium of Croatian and foreign owned companies. The section is planned to terminate in Ploče interchange with the A10 motorway, and a 5-kilometre (3.1 mi) expressway connecting the interchange to the Adriatic Highway near the city of Ploče.

Hrvatske autoceste, operator of the southern portion of the A1 motorway, ordered the execution of design documents, feasibility and environmental impact studies for the Doli – Osojnik section of the motorway that is to be constructed near Dubrovnik. Commencement of construction on this section was originally scheduled for 2009. Despite an official ceremony to mark commencement of construction works on the section, no works beyond design and study development has been carried out there.

The A1 motorway route between Ploče and Doli has not been fixed yet, as several options exist, all of which require the route to cross either an embayment of the Adriatic Sea or a part of the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the former being associated with construction of the 2,404-metre (7,887 ft) Pelješac Bridge spanning the coast south of Ploče and the Pelješac peninsula. Construction of the bridge began in May 2008, after a contract to build it was signed in 2007. The bridge was originally scheduled to be completed by May 2012. Pelješac Bridge construction contract worth 1.94 billion Kuna (c. 259 million Euro) was cancelled due to lack of funds on 17 May 2012. Construction of the bridge was significantly delayed and effectively suspended since 2010 for the same reason.

In April 2012, Bosnia-Herzegovina proposed a route in Neum area to connect Ploče and Dubrovnik while serving Neum. That entails branching of the A1 motorway 7 to 8 kilometres (4.3 to 5.0 miles) west of Neum, one branch serving Neum and the other Dubrovnik. As of July 2012 no decision was reached on the section of the A1 route.

A planned modification of the existing route encompasses construction of a directional T interchange to replace the existing trumpet interchange built at Žuta Lokva. The new interchange is only planned to be built once the A7 motorway is completed between the Rijeka bypass and Žuta Lokva. It shall not feature any weaving, similar to the Bosiljevo 2 interchange of the A1 and A6 motorways.