| Istrian Y | |
|---|---|
| Croatian: Istarski ipsilon | |
 | |
| Location | |
| Istria County | |
| Roads at junction |  E751  A8  A9 |
| Construction | |
| Maintained by | BINA Istra |
| Tolls | Closed toll collection system |
The Istrian Y (Croatian : Istarski ipsilon) is a highway network in the Croatian highway network & TEN-T network, maintained by BINA Istra (1995 - at least 2027). It consists of 2 sections arranged in a shape similar to the alphabetical letter 'Y', located in the Istria County:
The A8 is a 64.21 km (39.90 mi) long branch which starts at Matulji in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County and finishes in Kanfanar interchange, at the crossing with the A9. The branch was initially built as a single carriageway limited-access road, but the part between Kanfanar and Pazin was projected as a dual carriageway, so all the objects on the road are already prepared for a conversion to a motorway.
The most prominent feature of this branch of Istrian Y is the 5.4 km (3.4 mi) long Učka Tunnel, the third longest tunnel in Croatia. The tunnel was opened in 1981 and is the main road that connects the Istrian peninsula with Rijeka and the rest of Croatia (and the only road for vehicles over 5 tonnes [1] ). The tunnel is tolled within a closed toll collection system with the rest of the network.
The first part opened as full motorway, from Kanfanar to Rogovići, was opened for traffic in 2011. Then, sections between Rogovići - Cerovlje, Cerovlje - Lupoglav, and Lupoglav - Vranja, opened in consecutive years from 2020.
The A9 is a 76.79 km (47.72 mi) long branch which connects the Croatian-Slovenian border near Sečovlje with the city of Pula and services the tourist industry on the western coast of Istria. Motorway was initially built as single carriageway limited-access road.
There are two prominent object on this branch of Istrian Y: the viaduct "Limska draga" and the bridge "Mirna".
The viaduct "Limska draga" was built between 1988 and 1991 and was the first part of the western branch of Istrian Y that was constructed. The bridge is 552 m long and the height of the highest pillon is 120 m.
The bridge "Mirna" was opened to traffic in 2005. The bridge represents the crossing over river Mirna and was the most complicated object on the western branch of the Istrian Y because of the swampy terrain around the river. The bridge is 1355 m long and the height of the bridge at the highest point is 40 m. Currently the bridge is being tolled at the price of 14 HRK for passenger cars.
The southern leg of A9 motorway, between Kanfanar and Pula was opened as motorway for traffic in 2010. The northern leg of the A9 motorway, 50 km from Umag to Kanfanar, was opened as motorway for traffic on 14 June 2011, eight months before the deadline. [2] [3]
Source: [1]
The network, especially the A8 section and Učka Tunnel, is undergoing (as of 2023) and due to further undergo, extensive upgrade & refurbishment works. The works are split into 2 phases, sub-phases, and parts.
This phase is further split into 3 parts. All works are estimated to cost a total of EUR 191 million, including the costs for the new Učka Tunnel tube. It is under construction as of mid-2023.
The excavation of the second 5.63 km (3.50 mi) Učka Tunnel tube was officially completed on the 18 September 2023. [4] It is planned to open to traffic before the Summer of June 2024, [4] [5] in readiness for the tourist season.
The primary source suggests the works in relation to these sub-phases are not a priority. However, according to sources [6] [7] published later than this, Bina-Istra will develop these phases, with priority given to Phase 2B2-2. In July 2023 it was announced [8] that works on both these sub-phases would start imminently and last for 38 months until late 2026. Phase 2B2-2 is estimated to cost around EUR 200 million, [4] and when complete, will mean the journey time between Pula and Zagreb is approximately 2 and a half hours. The completion of both these phases will mean the entire network will be a dual carriageway profile.
The official breakthrough of the second Učka Tunnel tube on the 18 September 2023 meant the official start of works for both these phases. [4]
It is also expected for the existing Učka Tunnel tube to close for some duration of time after the second tube is opened for traffic, in order to allow for refurbishment.
Istria County is the westernmost county of Croatia which includes the majority of the Istrian peninsula.
Kanfanar is a municipality in Istria, Croatia.
The Parenzana in Italian and Croatian or Porečanka in Slovene is one of the nicknames of a defunct 760mm/15 15/16 inch narrow gauge railway between Trieste and Poreč, in present-day Italy, Slovenia and Croatia.
Matulji is a municipality in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Croatia. It is located 10 kilometers (6 mi) west of the city of Rijeka, north of the town of Opatija, and it borders Slovenia. Matulji is first mentioned in written historical sources in the middle of the 17th century, and it is preceded by the surname Matulja, which was originally recorded as Matuglia. As early as the beginning of the 19th century, official documents recorded the name of the settlement in its current form – Matulji.
The A2 motorway is a motorway in the Hrvatsko Zagorje region of northern Croatia, connecting Zagreb to the Macelj border crossing and Slovenia. The A2 motorway is part of the European route E59 and the Pan-European Corridor Xa. The motorway spans 59.2 kilometres (36.8 mi) between the Slovenian border and the Jankomir interchange within the Zagreb bypass, providing road connections to a number of cities and towns besides Zagreb, including Krapina, Zabok and Zaprešić. All sections of the motorway, except the northernmost one between the Macelj border crossing and Trakošćan, and the southernmost one near Zagreb, are tolled, using a closed toll collection system.
The A6 motorway is a motorway in Croatia spanning 80.2 kilometres (49.8 mi). It connects the nation's capital, Zagreb, via the A1, to the seaport of Rijeka. The motorway forms a major north–south transportation corridor in Croatia and is a part of European route E65 Nagykanizsa–Zagreb–Rijeka–Zadar–Split–Dubrovnik–Podgorica. The A6 motorway route also follows Pan-European corridor Vb.
The A7 motorway is a 42.4-kilometre-long (26.3 mi) motorway in Croatia. It connects the nation's largest port in Rijeka, to the Croatian motorway network, as well as to the Rupa and Pasjak border crossings to Slovenia. The motorway forms part of a longitudinal transportation corridor in Croatia, and it is a part of European route E61 Villach–Ljubljana–Trieste–Rijeka. The A7 motorway route south of Orehovica interchange, where it also intersects Pan-European corridor Vb, is a part of European route E65.
The A8 motorway is a 64.0-kilometre (39.8 mi) toll motorway in Croatia. It connects the A7 motorway near Rijeka with the road network in the Istrian peninsula via the Učka Tunnel. The road terminates at the Kanfanar interchange with the A9 motorway, which with the A8 motorway forms the Istrian Y road system. The motorway's national significance is reflected in its positive economic impact on the cities and towns it connects, as well as its importance to tourism in Croatia. The importance of the motorway for tourism is particularly high during the summer tourist season, when its traffic volume increases by about 65%.
The A9 motorway is a north–south motorway in Croatia, with a length of 78.3 kilometres. Beginning in Pula, the largest city on the Istrian peninsula, it runs north to the Croatian motorway and expressway network at the Kanfanar interchange. Here it meets the A8 motorway, forming the Istrian Y road system. The A9 continues north from here to the Kaštel and Plovanija border crossings into Slovenia. The motorway represents a significant north–south transportation corridor in Croatia and is a part of the European route E751. The motorway's national significance is reflected in the positive economic impact on the cities and towns it connects, as well as its importance to tourism in Croatia. Importance of the motorway for tourism is particularly high during summer tourist seasons, when traffic volume increases by more than 80%.
The European route E751, or E751, as defined by the Declaration on the Construction of Main International Traffic Arteries of 1975, and subsequent documents which amended the treaty, is an east–west Class-B branching European road route. Originating in Rijeka, Croatia, where it diverges from European route E61 before passing through the Kanfanar interchange, the route connects Pula, Rovinj, Poreč and Umag in Croatia with Koper in Slovenia. The route provides a high-performance road link in Istria and Slovenian Littoral. Unlike most routes, the E751 centers on the Kanfanar interchange and has three arms, each extending to Rijeka, Pula and Koper. The total length of the route, including all the route arms, is 160 km (99 mi).
The Belgrade bypass or Belgrade city road bypass is a U-shaped, 78-km long motorway partially encircling the city of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia.
Highways in Croatia are the main transport network in Croatia. The Croatian classification includes several classes of highways:
The Učka Tunnel is a toll tunnel on the A8 motorway in Croatia, under the Učka mountain range, as part of the Istrian Y network in Istria owned and operated by BINA Istra.
D303 is a state road connecting A9 and A8 motorways to Rovinj. The road is 13.5 km long.
D21 was an 80.1-kilometre-long (49.8 mi), north–south state road in Istria County, Croatia. A short section of D21 was part of the European route E751. The northern terminus of the route was located at the Croatia–Slovenia border at the Dragonja River. There it connected to Koper, Slovenia, and Trieste, Italy, via the Slovene route G11 further north. The route was generally parallel to A9 motorway, with which it formed several junctions, either directly or via short connectors, at Buje, Bale and Vodnjan – towns served directly by D21. The southern terminus of the route was found in the city of Pula, at the southern tip of the Istrian Peninsula.
BINA Istra is a Croatian joint stock company founded in 1995 to facilitate construction and subsequent management of an Istrian Y motorway, consisting of the A8 motorway and the A9 motorway. On September 21, 1995, BINA Istra has been granted concession regarding management of the Istrian Y. The concession agreement is valid until 15 December 2041, when the motorways shall be returned to the Republic of Croatia without any compensation.
Viadukt is a Croatian civil engineering company, specialised in the areas of bridge, tunnel and road engineering. Other business activities of the company include construction and reconstruction of urban streets.
The Mirna Bridge is located between the Nova Vas and Višnjan interchanges of the A9 motorway in Istria, Croatia, spanning the Mirna River and the wide Mirna River valley. It is 1,378 metres (4,521 ft) long and comprises two traffic lanes. The bridge has been open for traffic since June 2005. The bridge is one of the most significant structures on the motorway. The bridge was designed by Zlatko Šavor.
Javorova Kosa Tunnel is one of the most significant structures on the Croatian A6 motorway route. It is 1,490 metres (4,890 ft) long and consists of two tunnel tubes. It is located between Vrbovsko and Ravna Gora interchanges. The tunnel is tolled within the A6 motorway closed toll collection system. There are no other toll plazas related to the use of the tunnel.
The Kanfanar interchange is a cloverleaf interchange west of Kanfanar, Croatia. The interchange represents the western terminus of the A8 motorway and it connects the A8 route to the A9 motorway representing major a link in the Croatian motorway system. The interchange represents a junction of three arms of the European route E751.
