A6 (Croatia) - Route Description

Route Description

The A6 motorway is a significant north–south motorway in Croatia connecting the largest seaport of the country, Rijeka, to its hinterland and to the rest of the Croatian motorway network via the A1 motorway Bosiljevo 2 interchange. The motorway follows a route through the Gorski Kotar region. Part of the road network of Croatia, the motorway is also part of European route E65 Nagykanizsa–Zagreb–Rijeka–Zadar–Split–Dubrovnik–Podgorica. The motorway is of major importance to Croatia in terms of development of the economy; it is especially important for tourism and as a transit transport route. The road serves tourist resorts in Istria and the Kvarner Gulf islands. Because of the link formed between Zagreb and Rijeka, tourism-related traffic originating from the countries neighbouring Croatia to the north flows via this road to the Adriatic coast on the south. The road also serves tourists originating in the northern inland areas of Croatia. Even though the A6 route predominantly follows an east–west orientation, the motorway is locally regarded as a north–south communication. The ultimate importance of the motorway as a transit route shall be achieved upon completion of the proposed expansion of Port of Rijeka and the Rijeka transport node. The expansion is planned to encompass an enhancement of the cargo handling capacity of the Port of Rijeka; improved railroad links; and a new Rijeka bypass motorway linking the A6, via a new interchange, with the present routes of the A7 and A8 motorways. One of the aims of the project is to increase traffic along the A6 route. As of the June 1997 Pan-European Transport Conference in Helsinki, the motorway is a part of the Pan-European corridor Vb.

The motorway spans 80.2 kilometres (49.8 mi) between Bosiljevo 2 interchange and Rijeka–Orehovica interchange on the A7 motorway. The route serves Vrbovsko via the D42, Delnice via the D3, Crikvenica and Krk via the D501, and Bakar via the D40 state road. The route is complete and further development of the motorway includes only the construction of additional rest areas. The A6 motorway consists of at least two traffic lanes and an emergency lane in each driving direction along its entire length, except in tunnels, where there are emergency bays instead. Sections of the A6 motorway steeper than 4% grade have three traffic lanes, and slow vehicles are restricted to driving in the rightmost lane. All of the interchanges are trumpet interchanges. There are a number of rest areas along the motorway providing various types of services ranging from simple parking spaces and restrooms to filling stations, restaurants, and hotels. As of October 2010, the motorway has nine interchanges providing access to numerous towns and cities and the Croatian state road network. The motorway is operated by Autocesta Rijeka–Zagreb.

An automatic traffic monitoring and guidance system is in place along the motorway. It consists of measuring, control, and signalling devices, located in zones where driving conditions may vary—at interchanges, near viaducts, bridges, tunnels, and in zones where fog and strong wind are known to occur. The system comprises variable traffic signs used to communicate changing driving conditions, possible restrictions, and other information to motorway users.

The A6 motorway mainly runs through the mountainous Gorski Kotar region, requiring not only large bridges and viaducts and long tunnels along the route, but also special care must be paid to protection of the environment, as the route is located in karst terrain, with numerous water supply protection zones and significant natural heritage. Risnjak National Park is located near the A6 route, and is accessed via the Delnice interchange. Due to the motorway access and its proximity to a number of seaside resorts, Risnjak is the most visited national park in Croatia. Karst terrain is especially susceptible to water pollution, so the A6 motorway is equipped with a closed water drainage system designed to channel rainwater, meltwater, and any spillages to purpose-built processing facilities. Approximately 200 karst features—caves and other types of karst features—were observed and protected during construction of the motorway. An extraordinary example of this was a cavern 83 m (272 ft) long by 63 m (207 ft) wide and 45 m (148 ft) tall, found during execution of the 260 m (850 ft) long Vrata Tunnel. The cavern was bridged by one of the tunnel tubes, which was sealed to protect the cavern and the water flowing through it.