![Motorway-A1-Hex-Green](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/Motorway-A1-Hex-Green.svg)
Mala Kapela Tunnel ( hr, Tunel Mala Kapela) is the most significant structure on the
Croatian A1 motorway route. As it is long (northbound tube),
Mala Kapela Tunnel is the longest tunnel in Croatia. The tunnel is geographically located between the villages of
Jezerane and
Modruš
Modruš is a village, former bishopric and current Latin Catholic titular see in the mountainous part of Croatia, located south of its municipality's seat Josipdol (Karlovac County), on the easternmost slopes of Velika Kapela mountain, in northe ...
(although it cannot be accessed from the villages directly), and between
Ogulin
Ogulin () is a town in north-western Croatia, in Karlovac County. It has a population of 7,389 (2021) (it was 8,216 in 2011), and a total municipal population of 12,251 (2021). Ogulin is known for its historic stone castle, known as Kula, and the ...
and
Brinje motorway interchanges. The tunnel passes through the
Mala Kapela
Mala Kapela (, lit. ''Small Chapel'') is a mountain range in Croatia, part of the Dinaric Alps. It stretches in the direction northwest–southeast, and it extends from the mountain pass called "Kapela" or "Vrh Kapele" (alt. 887 m), that separates ...
mountain in the northeast-southwest direction.
The first tunnel tube through the Mala Kapela mountain was completed in 2005, and was used for both directions of traffic until the second tube was completed in 2009.
![Tunel Mala Kapela iznutra](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Tunel_Mala_Kapela_iznutra.jpg)
The tunnel is
tolled within the
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 ...
closed toll collection system. There are no other toll plazas related to use of the tunnel.
Characteristics
![Mala Kapela](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/Mala_Kapela.jpg)
The northern portal of the tunnel is located at elevation of 562
m.a.s.l., while the southern one is found at 575 m.a.s.l. The tunnel tubes are not equally long - the northbound tube is long, while the southbound one is somewhat shorter, as it is long. The tunnel tubes are excavated m apart, and are linked by 6 vehicle passages and 14 pedestrian passages.
The tunnel comprises wide carriageways, permitting driving speeds of up to 100 km/h. The tunnel features an autonomous drainage system channeling water accumulating during cleaning of the tunnel, as well as seeping water and liquids spilled in accidents or used for firefighting.
The tunnel was executed using
New Austrian Tunnelling method
The New Austrian tunneling method (NATM), also known as the sequential excavation method (SEM) or sprayed concrete lining method (SCL), is a method of modern tunnel design and construction employing sophisticated monitoring to optimize various wa ...
, by means of drilling and explosive blasting. Numerous caves, caverns and other speleological structures were found during the construction, but all of those were addressed successfully.
The tunnel is equipped with variable traffic signs in order to ensure enhanced safety of the traffic, regulated from traffic control centres along the A1 motorway. Electronic equipment of the tunnel allows radio reception of two UHF radio frequencies (
HR1 at 92.1 MHz and
HR2 at 98.5 MHz) as well as use of cell phones. Electrical power is supplied to the tunnel through one 35 kV switching station at each end of the tunnel and 8 distribution switching stations in the tunnel itself. A backup electrical power supply is also provided to ensure continuous operation of the tunnel.
Traffic volume
Traffic is regularly counted and reported by Croatian Motorways Ltd, operator of the A1 motorway and the tunnel, and published by Hrvatske Ceste.
Substantial variations between annual (
AADT
Annual average daily traffic, abbreviated AADT, is a measure used primarily in transportation planning, transportation engineering and retail location selection. Traditionally, it is the total volume of vehicle traffic of a highway or road for a ...
) and summer (ASDT) traffic volumes are attributed to the fact that the motorway carries substantial tourist traffic to the
Dalmatian
Adriatic resorts. The traffic count is performed using analysis of toll ticket sales.
See also
*
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 ...
*
Sveti Rok Tunnel
The Sveti Rok Tunnel is a road tunnel in Lika, Croatia. It is long and passes through the Velebit mountains. The tunnel runs between the Sveti Rok and Rovanjska exits on the A1 highway (Zagreb–Dubrovnik); eponymous villages are located near ...
*
List of longest tunnels
This list of longest tunnels ranks tunnels that are at least long. Only continuous tunnels are included. Pipelines, even those that are buried, are excluded. The longest tunnels have been constructed for water distribution, followed by tunnels ...
References
Further reading
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External links
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{{coord, 45, 4, 2, N, 15, 12, 37, E, display=title
Road tunnels in Croatia
Buildings and structures in Karlovac County
Buildings and structures in Lika-Senj County
Tunnels completed in 2005
Transport in Karlovac County