The Adriatic Highway ( hr, Jadranska magistrala) is a road that stretches along the eastern coast of the
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to t ...
and is part of the
European route E65
European route E65 is a north-south Class-A European route that begins in Malmö, Sweden and ends in Chania, Greece. The road is about in length.
Route
*
**: Malmö ( ) – Ystad
*Gap (Baltic Sea)
** Ystad - Świnoujście
*
**: Świno ...
. The road passes through
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
, with smaller stretches through
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
and
Montenegro
)
, image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Podgorica
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, official_languages = M ...
and ends at the Montenegro-Albania border. It is an undivided two-lane road for almost its entire length, with the exception of a short stretch through
Zadar
Zadar ( , ; historically known as Zara (from Venetian and Italian: ); see also other names), is the oldest continuously inhabited Croatian city. It is situated on the Adriatic Sea, at the northwestern part of Ravni Kotari region. Zadar serv ...
and a dual-carriageway section from Plano (
Trogir
Trogir (; historically known as Traù (from Dalmatian, Venetian and Italian: ); la, Tragurium; Ancient Greek: Τραγύριον, ''Tragyrion'' or Τραγούριον, ''Tragourion'') is a historic town and harbour on the Adriatic coast in S ...
) to the southeast suburbs of
Split
Split(s) or The Split may refer to:
Places
* Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia
* Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay
* Split Island, Falkland Islands
* Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua
Arts, enterta ...
. It was planned in the 1930s and built in the 50s and 60s. The dual carriageway is planned to be extended further southeast to
Omiš
Omiš (, Latin and it, Almissa) is a town and port in the Dalmatia region of Croatia, and is a municipality in the Split-Dalmatia County. The town is situated approximately south-east of Croatia's second largest city, Split. Its location is wh ...
. Completion of the
Adriatic Ionian motorway
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to the ...
is proposed in order to replace the Adriatic highway as a high-performance road transport route along the Adriatic coast.
Sections
Adriatic Highway runs along the east coast of the Adriatic Sea and passes through three countries:
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
,
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
and
Montenegro
)
, image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Podgorica
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, official_languages = M ...
. Most of the highway is located in Croatia.
Croatian section
Croatian section of the highway is officially named D8 state road ( hr, Državna cesta D8), and it runs from
Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
n border crossing via
Rijeka
Rijeka ( , , ; also known as Fiume hu, Fiume, it, Fiume ; local Chakavian: ''Reka''; german: Sankt Veit am Flaum; sl, Reka) is the principal seaport and the third-largest city in Croatia (after Zagreb and Split). It is located in Primor ...
via
Senj
Senj (; it, Segna, la, Senia, Hungarian language, Hungarian and german: Zengg) is a town on the upper Adriatic coast in Croatia, in the foothills of the Mala Kapela and Velebit mountains.
The symbol of the town is the Nehaj Fortress ( hr, Tvr ...
,
Zadar
Zadar ( , ; historically known as Zara (from Venetian and Italian: ); see also other names), is the oldest continuously inhabited Croatian city. It is situated on the Adriatic Sea, at the northwestern part of Ravni Kotari region. Zadar serv ...
,
Šibenik
Šibenik () is a historic city in Croatia, located in central Dalmatia, where the river Krka flows into the Adriatic Sea. Šibenik is a political, educational, transport, industrial and tourist center of Šibenik-Knin County, and is also the ...
,
Split
Split(s) or The Split may refer to:
Places
* Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia
* Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay
* Split Island, Falkland Islands
* Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua
Arts, enterta ...
,
Opuzen
Opuzen ( it, Forte Opus) is a small town in Dubrovnik-Neretva County in Croatia. The town is located upstream from the mouth of the river Neretva, in southern Dalmatia. This settlement is known as a major center of tangerine production in Croatia ...
and
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik (), historically known as Ragusa (; see notes on naming), is a city on the Adriatic Sea in the region of Dalmatia, in the southeastern semi-exclave of Croatia. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterran ...
to the border with Montenegro at Karasovići. Most of the D8 is still a two-lane road, excepting rare four-lane stretches. Total length of the road through Croatia is . Like all other
state roads in Croatia
Highways in Croatia are the main transport network in Croatia.
The Croatian classification includes several classes of highways:
* The main #Motorways, motorways are named A (''autocesta'') accompanied by one or two digits. By and large they ...
, it is maintained by
Hrvatske ceste
Hrvatske ceste (lit. ''Croatian roads'') is a Croatian state-owned company pursuant to provisions of the Croatian Public Roads Act ( hr, Zakon o javnim cestama enacted by the Parliament of the Republic of Croatia.
The tasks of the company are def ...
.
Until recent times the highway has been the primary route connecting Adriatic coastal parts of Croatia. Since the 2000s multilane motorways have taken over most of its traffic, and yet more motorways are still being built along the coast. The motorways parallel to the road are A7 (
Rupa
Rupa may refer to:
Places
* Rupa, Croatia, a town in northwest Croatia
* Rupa, Arunachal Pradesh, a town of Arunachal Pradesh
* Rupa gold mine, an artisanal mine in Uganda
* Rupa Lake, a freshwater lake in Nepal
Science
* ''Rupa'' (beetle), a b ...
Rijeka
Rijeka ( , , ; also known as Fiume hu, Fiume, it, Fiume ; local Chakavian: ''Reka''; german: Sankt Veit am Flaum; sl, Reka) is the principal seaport and the third-largest city in Croatia (after Zagreb and Split). It is located in Primor ...
-
Bosiljevo
Bosiljevo is a village and municipality in Karlovac County, Croatia. It is located in the Gorski Kotar region, 25 km south-west from Karlovac, on the highways A1 and A6 leading to Zagreb, Rijeka and Split.
Settlements
The total popu ...
Zadar
Zadar ( , ; historically known as Zara (from Venetian and Italian: ); see also other names), is the oldest continuously inhabited Croatian city. It is situated on the Adriatic Sea, at the northwestern part of Ravni Kotari region. Zadar serv ...
-
Split
Split(s) or The Split may refer to:
Places
* Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia
* Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay
* Split Island, Falkland Islands
* Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua
Arts, enterta ...
-
Ploče
Ploče (; it, Porto Tolero) is a town and seaport in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County of Croatia.
Geography
Ploče is located on the Adriatic coast in Dalmatia just north of the Neretva Delta and is the natural seaside endpoint of most north-south ...
). Since Adriatic Highway closely follows the well-indented Croatian coastline, travel is considerably longer and less safe compared to the motorways because of numerous blind curves and
at-grade intersection
An intersection or an at-grade junction is a junction where two or more roads converge, diverge, meet or cross at the same height, as opposed to an interchange, which uses bridges or tunnels to separate different roads. Major intersections a ...
s. D8 state road is still popular as an alternative to the tolled highways, so the road carries fairly constant traffic during most of the year. The traffic intensifies in the summer, because of substantial traffic to touristic destinations.
The D8 section from Rijeka to Senj experiences heavy traffic in particular because many motorists are unwilling to take the longer route along A6 and A1, even though the motorway route normally requires shorter travel time. This problem used to be further exacerbated before 2009 when A6 still had slow
semi-highway
A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms i ...
parts on the Rijeka-Bosiljevo route. This section will remain congested at peak intervals until eventual completion of A7 motorway between
Rupa
Rupa may refer to:
Places
* Rupa, Croatia, a town in northwest Croatia
* Rupa, Arunachal Pradesh, a town of Arunachal Pradesh
* Rupa gold mine, an artisanal mine in Uganda
* Rupa Lake, a freshwater lake in Nepal
Science
* ''Rupa'' (beetle), a b ...
A1 motorway
A1, A-1, A01 or A.1. may refer to:
Education
* A1, the Basic Language Certificate of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
* Language A1, the former name for "Language A: literature", one of the IB Group 1 subjects
* A1, a ...
terminates at the Ploče interchange, approximately northwest of Ploče, tourists heading south generally switch to the Adriatic Highway. Further after Ploče drivers also encounter a small strip of Bosnia and Herzegovina territory around town of (
Neum
Neum ( cyrl, Неум, ) is a town and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, located in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the only town to be situated along the Bosnia and Herzegovina's coastline, m ...
Zaton Doli
Zaton Doli is a village in Croatia, on the border with Neum, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is connected by the D8 (Croatia), D8 highway.
Demographics
According to the 2021 census, its population was 56. After that section, the highway continues to
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik (), historically known as Ragusa (; see notes on naming), is a city on the Adriatic Sea in the region of Dalmatia, in the southeastern semi-exclave of Croatia. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterran ...
close to the coastline.
Upon the completion of A7 and A1 the part of Adriatic Highway spanning from Ploče to Dubrovnik are planned to be upgraded to an expressway bypassing Neum in Bosnia and Herzegovina entirely via a series of tunnels and bridges,
Pelješac Bridge
The Pelješac Bridge ( hr, Pelješki most, ) is a cable-stayed bridge in Dubrovnik-Neretva County, Croatia. The bridge provides a fixed link from the southeastern Croatian semi-exclave to the rest of the country while bypassing Bosnia and Herzeg ...
being the most notable among them. The possibility of other upgrades remains open.
East of Dubrovnik the road passes by
Dubrovnik Airport
Dubrovnik Airport ( hr, Zračna luka Dubrovnik; ), also referred to as Čilipi Airport (), is the international airport of Dubrovnik, Croatia. The airport is located approximately 15.5 km (9.5 mi) from Dubrovnik city centre, near Čilipi ...
and reaches the border with Montenegro at Karasovići ( Debeli Brijeg on the Montenegrin side).
Bosnia and Herzegovina section
The highway passes through a small strip of
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
territory at
Neum
Neum ( cyrl, Неум, ) is a town and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, located in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the only town to be situated along the Bosnia and Herzegovina's coastline, m ...
and is classified as M-2 road (). The border crossings are at Neum 1 (with Klek on the Croatian side) to the west of Neum, and Neum 2 (with
Zaton Doli
Zaton Doli is a village in Croatia, on the border with Neum, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is connected by the D8 (Croatia), D8 highway.
Demographics
According to the 2021 census, its population was 56.M-1 highway ( cnr, Magistralni put M-1) and it runs from Debeli Brijeg border crossing with Croatia through
Herceg Novi
Herceg Novi ( cyrl, Херцег Нови, ) is a coastal town in Montenegro located at the Western entrance to the Bay of Kotor and at the foot of Mount Orjen. It is the administrative center of the Herceg Novi Municipality with around 33,000 in ...
,
Kotor
Kotor (Montenegrin Cyrillic: Котор, ), historically known as Cattaro (from Italian: ), is a coastal town in Montenegro. It is located in a secluded part of the Bay of Kotor. The city has a population of 13,510 and is the administrative c ...
,
Budva
Budva ( cnr, Будва, or ) is a Montenegrin town on the Adriatic Sea. It has 19,218 inhabitants, and it is the centre of Budva Municipality. The coastal area around Budva, called the Budva riviera, is the center of Montenegrin tourism, kno ...
Sutomore
Sutomore ( cnr, Сутоморе, ) is a small coastal town in Bar Municipality, Montenegro. A 2011 census put the population at 2,004.
History
Sutomore was called ''Spizza'' in Venetian, when it was under the Republic of Venice from 1420 to 17 ...
,
Bar
Bar or BAR may refer to:
Food and drink
* Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages
* Candy bar
* Chocolate bar
Science and technology
* Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment
* Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud
* Bar (u ...
,
Ulcinj
Ulcinj ( cyrl, Улцињ, ; ) is a town on the southern coast of Montenegro and the capital of Ulcinj Municipality. It has an urban population of 10,707 (2011), the majority being Albanians.
As one of the oldest settlements in the Adriatic coast ...
and ends at
Sukobin
Sukobin ( cyrl, Сукобин; sq, Sukubinë) is a village in the municipality of Ulcinj, Montenegro. It is located at the Albania–Montenegro border.
Demographics
According to the 2011 census, its population was 367, all but 3 of them Albania ...
border crossing with
Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
, having two lanes through its entire length.
The road itself runs around the
Bay of Kotor
The Bay of Kotor ( Montenegrin and Serbian: , Italian: ), also known as the Boka, is a winding bay of the Adriatic Sea in southwestern Montenegro and the region of Montenegro concentrated around the bay. It is also the southernmost part of the hi ...
through
Kotor
Kotor (Montenegrin Cyrillic: Котор, ), historically known as Cattaro (from Italian: ), is a coastal town in Montenegro. It is located in a secluded part of the Bay of Kotor. The city has a population of 13,510 and is the administrative c ...
, but through traffic uses the ferry connection across the Verige Strait between Herceg Novi and
Tivat
Tivat (, ) is a coastal town in southwest Montenegro, located in the Bay of Kotor. , its population was 9,367. Tivat is the centre of Tivat Municipality, which is the smallest municipality by area in Montenegro.
Name
In Serbian and Montenegrin l ...
Verige bridge
The Verige bridge ( cnr, Мост Вериге, ) is a planned bridge in Montenegro that would span the Bay of Kotor, crossing the ''Verige Strait'' at its narrowest point. It will be part of the Adriatic Highway (''Jadranska magistrala''). As of 2 ...
spanning the eponymous strait is planned to be built in the future, bypassing most of the bay.
The Montenegrin section, albeit as narrow as Croatian, still remains the only feasible route along the Adriatic coast. No littoral motorways are planned in Montenegro yet.
There are three major roads from the Adriatic Highway to inland Montenegro – at Budva, via
M-10 M10, M-10 or M 10 may refer to:
Science and technology
* Messier 10, a globular cluster in the constellation Ophiuchus
* M10, a Garmin Nüvifone smartphone
* Samsung Galaxy M10, a smartphone
* M10 (rocket engine), a rocket engine
Transportation ...
to
Cetinje
Cetinje (, ) is a town in Montenegro. It is the former royal capital (''prijestonica'' / приjестоница) of Montenegro and is the location of several national institutions, including the official residence of the president of Montenegro ...
Virpazar
Virpazar ( sr-cyrl, Вирпазар, ) is a village in the municipality of Bar, Montenegro.
Overview
It is located in the Crmnica region, straddling the Crmnica river, which flows into nearby Skadar Lake. There are various tourist facilities inc ...
and
Podgorica
Podgorica (Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Подгорица, ; Literal translation, lit. 'under the hill') is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Montenegro, largest city of Montenegro. The city was formerly known as Titograd ...
, and at
Sutomore
Sutomore ( cnr, Сутоморе, ) is a small coastal town in Bar Municipality, Montenegro. A 2011 census put the population at 2,004.
History
Sutomore was called ''Spizza'' in Venetian, when it was under the Republic of Venice from 1420 to 17 ...
, via the Sozina Tunnel ( M-1.1), also to Virpazar and Podgorica.
The road is the part of E65 and E80
European route
The international E-road network is a numbering system for roads in Europe developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). The network is numbered from E1 up and its roads ...
s starting from Debeli Brijeg border crossing, and the
European route
The international E-road network is a numbering system for roads in Europe developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). The network is numbered from E1 up and its roads ...
E851 starting from Petrovac. At Sutomore, the E65 and E80 routes go to the north and leave the road via the Sozina Tunnel, while the E851 continues on the M-1 to
Sukobin
Sukobin ( cyrl, Сукобин; sq, Sukubinë) is a village in the municipality of Ulcinj, Montenegro. It is located at the Albania–Montenegro border.
Demographics
According to the 2011 census, its population was 367, all but 3 of them Albania ...