Croatian roads see an enormous amount of traffic during the warmer months in summer, with many tourists having driven from neighbouring and surrounding countries to spend time on the glorious Croatian coast and islands. With the capital gaining in popularity, the Zagreb bypass should receive a much needed third lane in time for 2020's summer season.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 15th of February, 2020, by this year's tourist season, the Zagreb bypass should receive a third traffic lane to ease the pressure on the road. Croatian motorways (Hrvatske ceste) have embarked on a pilot project for that road, which is known as the busiest part of the Croatian motorway network.

According to Vecernji list, HAC says that by summer, they plan to turn the stopping point into a carriageway on the section of the road from Jakuševac to Ivanja Reka in both directions, that is, in the length of eleven kilometres, while the third lane would be 13.5 kilometres long, from Jankomir to Jakuševac, and that will be introduced after the tourist season.

HAC points out that the third lane on the Zagreb bypass will be constructed at its existing width, which means that the amount of investment will increase the flow rate by up to fifty percent.

The existing stop lane will be converted into a slow lane for trucks, the middle lane will be intended for trucks, buses and cars, and the left lane of the Zagreb bypass will be intended only for cars and buses. In the slow and medium lane, the speed limit will be 80 kilometres per hour, provided that in the middle lane, vehicles must travel at a minimum speed of 70 km/h in ideal conditions.

The speed on the left lane of the Zagreb bypass will be limited to 100 km/h. HAC says that the width at the narrowest part of the bypass is 10.80 metres, which is sufficient width to accommodate three traffic lanes plus side lanes.

The existing stop lane is 2.5 metres wide and will be expanded to 3.25 metres when converted into a lane. The existing lanes, on the other hand, are 3.75 metres wide, so the middle lane will be reduced to 3.25 metres and the left lane to 3.5 metres.

HAC explained that these widths are adapted to speeds in accordance with legal requirements. Horizontal, vertical and variable signaling needs to be adjusted for the introduction of the third lane, and the estimated value of these works on the part from Jakuševac to Ivanja Reka stands at 4.5 million kuna.

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We've reported on the state of affairs of the works on the large Zagreb roundabout (Remetinec roundabout) which has been closed for a long time, causing changes and indeed sometimes issues with driving in the Croatian capital city. 

Recently, news appeared that the Zagreb roundabout itself had been completed after thirteen very, very long months of being closed to the public. Next came the announcement that there could be plans to introduce a new tram line in the city, which would be five or six kilometres long, be of importance to the future Blato hospital and also raise property prices in the surrounding areas.

It is expected that Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandic would readily approve such a plan and have the means provided for it quickly given the fact that it would be a major plus for the city for a multitude of practical reasons.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 22nd of January, 2020, the Zagreb roundabout is one of the capital projects of the City of Zagreb that should facilitate traffic in that part of the city, and it will also address the significant issues caused by one of the largest black traffic points in all of Zagreb.

Its value stands at an enormous 331.7 million kuna, while the grant amount is 321 million kuna, of which 272.8 million kuna is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and 48.1 million kuna comes from the state budget of the Republic of Croatia.

Take at the video below of the now finished works on the Zagreb roundabout, which will finally officially open for cars this coming Sunday:

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As we recently reported, works on the Zagreb roundabout are now finally drawing to a close. After a long 385 days of the roundabout being intensively worked on, causing issues with traffic at one of the Croatian capital's main hubs, the road is now ready to take cars.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 9th of January, 2020, the whole project has been under construction for a gruelling 385 days in total, and after the news came that everything was finally completed, more good news comes about how traffic will run along the new Zagreb (Remetinec) roundabout.

''We're currently installing traffic lights and traffic signs and finishing off the final details. In addition, the Road Transport Commission must review everything and only then will we be able to put the Zagreb roundabout into circulation for all types of road traffic,'' said project manager Goran Radić in conversation with journalists from 24sata.

After 385 days and with a massive construction price of 331.6 million kuna, of which 273 million kuna was co-financed by European Union funds and 48 million kuna from Croatia's state budget, the completion of the Zagreb roundabout equals a bold ''tick'' next to one of the country's most demanding and significant strategic projects.

''We built the east-west tunnels at 280 metres in length. Drivers from the direction of Lučko and Novi Zagreb don't have to enter the Zagreb roundabout at all, but they can pass under it. The roadways on the north side of the roundabout, Adriatic Bridge (Jadranski most) - Adriatic Avenue (Jadranska avenija) and Dubrovnik Avenue (Avenija Dubrovnik) - Adriatic Bridge (Jadranski most), have been extended by one lane and now have four lanes, of which two lanes enter the Zagreb roundabout and two lanes act as right turners which don't enter it,'' explained Radić.

''Projections show that 40 percent of the traffic will go through tunnels, and it will be more than 30 percent less crowded on the new Zagreb roundabout,'' he concluded.

Watch the video below:

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As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 21st of December, 2019, the divestment itself, as they have also pointed out from the City of Zagreb, would allow for a much higher acceptance of traffic on these Zagreb roads, and thus relieve the city centre of traffic, which would also help in a more accurate timetable for public transport.

A third lane and partial denivelation appear to be in the City of Zagreb's plans. The level of traffic in Zagreb these days has caused issues, so, after the City of Zagreb announced a call for proposals for the conceptual design of an extension to Kranjčevićeva, they are now looking to complete a traffic study that will solve the traffic jams on three main Zagreb roads: Slavonska, Zagrebačka and Ljubljanska avenues, Vecernji list writes.

All of this will come with a price tag of 800,000 kuna, and the new design of the Zagreb roads should demonstrate the ability to avoid the congestion that, from west to east, sees about 80,000 vehicles every day as they cross those particular avenues.

For those who want to do a traffic study for the City of Zagreb, this should be done according to a project assignment that already states clearly that the whole problem could be solved by adding a third lane to the currently predominantly two-lane Zagreb roads, and in parts, it should be levelled because these additional traffic jams, at least according to the city government, are created at intersections.

''At peak traffic intervals, saturation is present on certain sections or throughout the avenues. One of the causes of congestion is that most of the intersections on that corridor are at the same level with the roads that connect to it. Despite the fact that all intersections are equipped with state-of-the-art signalling devices and equipment that works depending on the amount of traffic, it's very demanding to try to harmonise the signalling plans, which will allow for the satisfactory flow and travel time of the cars, due to the high traffic load and the limited capacity of roads,'' they stated from the city government.

They want the traffic study they are commissioning to show whether the avenues should be widened to add another lane and whether they should level or "possibly reshape" the existing traffic lights, which are now level with other connecting roads.

The experts who will conducted the 800,000 kuna traffic study must, among other things, count the vehicles along the corridor of the three aforementioned Zagreb roads and anticipate what will happen to the volume of cars, buses and trucks by 2030 if no road interventions are made and no action is taken, at the minimum of what is now being proposed.

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