A1 motorway (Slovenia)

The A1 motorway (Slovene: avtocesta A1), also known as Slovenika, is 245.3 km (152.4 mi) long, connecting Šentilj (at the Austrian border) and Koper/Capodistria (on the shores of the Adriatic Sea). It connects several of the largest metropolitan areas of the country, including Maribor, Celje and Ljubljana, all the way to the Slovenian Littoral and port town of Koper.

A1 Motorway shield}}
A1 Motorway
Avtocesta A1
A1 Vodole.JPG
A1 motorway at Vodole
Route information
Part of E57 / E59 / E61 / E70
Length245.3 km (152.4 mi)
Major junctions
From A 9 in Austria
Major intersections
To H5 near Ankaran
Location
CountrySlovenia
Major citiesMaribor, Celje, Ljubljana, Postojna, Koper
Highway system

Construction began in 1970 and the first section was finished in 1972, connecting Vrhnika and Postojna. Everyday operation of this initial stretch started on 29 December 1972.[1]

The connection to Koper was finished on 23 November 2004. The second-to-last part, from Trojane to Blagovica, was opened on 12 August 2005. It was also the most expensive, having eight viaducts and two tunnels despite being only 11 km long. The final section, the eastern Maribor bypass, opened on 14 August 2009.[2]

Route description

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The A1 motorway provides connection of Slovenia and Austria (only other motorway with border crossing to Austria being A2 motorway) and was from the very start an important route, because it connected the three largest cities in Slovenia – Ljubljana, Maribor and Celje. On the other hand, it also connected all those cities with Slovenian coast and provided better conditions for transit to Port of Koper. As of 2013 it is also the only motorway that is connected to all the other motorways in Slovenia.

As of 2013 motorway always has at least two traffic lanes in each direction and is rarely without emergency lane. On some parts it has three traffic lanes in one direction and two in another (usually the additional is for slow vehicles). Only Tunnel Golovec has three lanes in each direction. It was also planned that some other parts of highway will get additional lanes but most of plans were postponed due to lack of money.[3]

Toll

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The toll station at Log pri Brezovici

Until 1 July 2008 all vehicles had to stop at tollgates and pay a toll. Since that date vignettes are required for all vehicles up to 3.5 tons, while heavier vehicles must still pay the toll at a tollgate. Tollgates are being rearranged so that two traffic lanes for lighter vehicles (with vignettes) are no longer divided by tollgates and vehicles can drive through at 60 kilometres per hour (37 miles per hour). Where tollgates are still standing as they were before 1 July 2008, the speed limit is 40 kilometres per hour (25 miles per hour). Since 2018, heavy vehicles need to pay toll with an electronic on-board unit attached on the windscreen and tollgates are not needed anymore.

There are six toll stations for heavier vehicles Pesnica, Tepanje, Vransko, Kompolje, Log and Videž. For R3 group it ranges from €3.40 to €19.60, together €47.10 at daytime (6 AM-10 PM) and from €3.00 to €17.60, together €42.30 at night (10 PM-6 AM). For R4 group it ranges from €4.90 to €28.30, together €68.20 at daytime (6 AM-10 PM) and from €4.40 to €25.50, together €61.40 at night (10 PM-6 AM).[4]

Notable structures

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When most parts of motorway were already done, there came two parts that were something special, meaning tunnels near Trojane[5] with most notable being Tunnel Trojane with length of almost 3 kilometres and thus second longest tunnel in Slovenia (the longest being Karavanke Tunnel) and viaduct Črni Kal, the longest viaduct in Slovenia, being longer than 1 kilometer and also 95 metres high.[6]

Junction list

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Exit[3] km Name Destination Notes
0 Austria   A 9
  E57
  E59
The northern terminus of the route; northbound A1 traffic defaults to the Austrian Pyhrnautobahn (A9) leading to Graz; border
1 1 Šentilj   R437
  R438
Connection to Pesnica (437), Trate and Gornja Radgona (438); modified diamond interchange
2 11 Maribor-sever   H2
  G3
  R437
Modified roundabout interchange with H2 (Zahodna obvoznica Maribora) leading through western part of Maribor, connection to Lenart, Radenci, Dolga Vas (3) and Šentilj (437)
3 12 Junction Dragučova   A5
  E653
Full Y interchange with A5 motorway leading to Hungary through state border Pince
4 17 Maribor-vzhod Zrkovci Local road through Zrkovci, connected with road 710, leading to Vurberk and Ptuj; modified diamond interchange
5 21 Maribor-center   G1 Connection to either Dravograd and Vič or Hajdina (1); folded diamond interchange
6 23 Rogoza   R450 Connection to either Hoče or Maribor Airport (450); four ramp partial cloverleaf interchange
7 25 Junction Slivnica   A4
  E59
  R430
Interchange with A4 motorway (also route E59) currently leading to Razcep Draženci and connection to either Maribor or Slovenska Bistrica, Slovenske Konjice and Celje (430)
8 29 Fram   R711 Connection to Rače, Kungota and Kidričevo (711); trumpet interchange
9 37 Slovenska Bistrica-sever   G2 Connection to Ptuj and Ormož (2); full Y interchange
10 39 Slovenska Bistrica-jug   R430 Connection to either Maribor or Slovenske Konjice and Celje (430); trumpet interchange
11 48 Slovenske Konjice   R430
  R686
Connection to either Maribor and Slovenska Bistrica or Celje (430), Žiče and Dramlje (686); trumpet interchange
12 59 Dramlje   R234
  R686
Connection to Dole, Šentjur (234), Žiče and Tepanje; trumpet interchange
13 65 Celje-vzhod Leskovec Local road in Leskovec; full way interchange
14 67 Celje-center   R430 Connection to Slovenske Konjice, Slovenska Bistrica and Maribor (430); trumpet interchange
15 73 Celje-vzhod   G5 Connection to either Arja Vas or Zidani Most, Krško and Drnovo (5); dumbbell interchange
16 75 Žalec   G4
  R451
Connection to Velenje, Slovenj Gradec, Dravograd (4) and to road 447 (451); diamond interchange
17 82 Šempeter   R694 Connection to Velenje; modified diamond interchange
18 84 Šentrupert   R225 Connection to Soteska, Mozirje, Radmirje, Črnivec, Stahovica, Kamnik, Duplica and Mengeš (225); diamond interchange
19 92 Vransko   R447 Connection to either Šempeter, Žalec and Arja Vas or Trojane, Blagovica and Trzin; four ramp partial cloverleaf interchange
20 102 Trojane   R221
  R447
Connection to Izlake, Trbovlje, Hrastnik, Šmarjeta (221) and either Šempeter, Žalec, Arja Vas and Ločica or Blagovica and Trzin (447)
21 113 Blagovica   R447 Connection to either Trojane, Šempeter, Žalec, Arja Vas and Ločica or Trzin (447)
22 120 Lukovica pri Domžalah   R447 Connection to either Blagovica, Trojane, Šempeter, Žalec, Arja Vas and Ločica or Trzin (447); interchange with rest area
23 124 Krtina   R415 Connection to Želodnik, Drtija and Izlake; four ramp partial cloverleaf interchange
24 127 Domžale   R447 Connection to Trzin, Blagovica, Šempeter, Žalec, Arja Vas and Ločica (447); full Y interchange
25 133 Ljubljana-Šentjakob   G108 Connection to Litija, Hrastnik and Zidani Most (108); diamond interchange
26 134 Ljubljana-Sneberje   R644 Connection to Šentjakob, Domžale and Duplica (644); four ramp partial cloverleaf interchange
27 135 Junction Zadobrova   H3 H3 Full Y interchange with H3 (Severna obvoznica Ljubljane) leading through northern part of Ljubljana
28 136 Industrijska cona Moste Industrijska cona Moste Local road; exit just in direction KoperMaribor
29 137 Ljubljana-vzhod Zaloška cesta Street in Ljubljana; diamond interchange
30 138 Ljubljana-Bizovik   R645 Connection to Šmartno pri Litiji (645); diamond interchange
31 142 Junction Malence   A2
  E70
Full Y interchange with A2 motorway (also route E70), leading to Novo Mesto and Brežice
32 142 Ljubljana-jug   R642 Connection to Ig and Vrhnika (642); trumpet interchange
33 144 Ljubljana-Rudnik   R642 Connection to Ig and Vrhnika (642); trumpet interchange
34 147 Ljubljana-center Barjanska cesta Street in Ljubljana; four ramp partial cloverleaf interchange
35 149 Ljubljana-zahod Tržaška cesta Street in Ljubljana; trumpet interchange
36 150 Junction Kozarje   A2
  E61
  E70
Full Y interchange with A2 motorway (also route E61 and E70), leading to Kranj and Jesenice
37 152 Brezovica pri Ljubljani   R409
  R641
Connection to Vrhnika, Logatec, Postojna, Razdrto, Kozina (409) and Ljubljana (641); trumpet interchange
38 165 Vrhnika   R409 Connection either to Vrhnika, Logatec, Postojna, Razdrto and Kozina or Ljubljana (409); trumpet interchange
39 173 Logatec   G102 Connection to Idrija, Tolmin and Kobarid (102); trumpet interchange
40 183 Unec   R212 Connection to Cerknica and Sodražica (212); four ramp partial cloverleaf interchange
41 195 Postojna   G6 Connection to Ilirska Bistrica and Jelšane (6); four ramp partial cloverleaf interchange
42 204 Razdrto   R409 Connection either to Postojna, Logatec, Vrhnika and Ljubljana or Kozina (409)
43 206 Junction Razdrto   H4 H4 Semi-directional T interchange with H4 (Vipavska hitra cesta) leading to Vipava and Italy
44 211 Senožeče   R445 Connection to Sežana and Fernetiči (445); trumpet interchange
45 216 Junction Gabrk   A3
  E70
Semi-directional T interchange with A3 motorway (also route E70), leading to Sežana and Italy
46 219 Divača   R409 Connection either to Razdrto, Postojna, Logatec, Vrhnika and Ljubljana or Kozina (409); trumpet interchange
47 226 Kozina   G7
  R409
Connection to Krvavi potok (7), Razdrto, Postojna, Logatec, Vrhnika and Ljubljana (409); trumpet interchange
48 235 Kastelec   R409 Connection to Kozina, Razdrto, Postojna, Logatec, Vrhnika and Ljubljana (409); modified diamond interchange
49 238 Črni kal   R208
  R409
Connection to Rižana (208), Kozina Razdrto, Postojna, Logatec, Vrhnika and Ljubljana (409); trumpet interchange
50 244 Junction Srmin   H5
  E751
The western terminus of the route; northbound and westbound A1 traffic defaults to the H5 expressway (also route E751) leading to Škofije and Koper respectively

Tunnels

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The motorway includes ten tunnels, two galleries and one covered cut:

  • Gallery Dragučova right and left 160 m (520 ft)
  • Vodole right 249 m (817 ft), Vodole left 247 m (810 ft)
  • Covered cut Malečnik right and left 185 m (607 ft)
  • Golo rebro right 788 m (2,585 ft), Golo rebro left 757 m (2,484 ft)
  • Pletovarje right 708 m (2,323 ft), Pletovarje left 745 m (2,444 ft)
  • Ločica right 750 m (2,460 ft), Ločica left 810 m (2,660 ft)
  • Jasovnik right 1,633 m (5,358 ft), Jasovnik left 1,612 m (5,289 ft)
  • Trojane right 2,840 m (9,320 ft), Trojane left 2,931 m (9,616 ft)
  • Podmilj right 622 m (2,041 ft), Podmilj left 613 m (2,011 ft)
  • Gallery Strmec right and left 200 m (660 ft)
  • Golovec right 622 m (2,041 ft), Golovec left 595 m (1,952 ft)
  • Kastelec right 2,195 m (7,201 ft), Kastelec left 2,303 m (7,556 ft)
  • Dekani right 2,190 m (7,190 ft), Dekani left 2,181 m (7,156 ft)

Bridges

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The "Harp Bridge" of the A1 motorway that crosses the Ljubljanica

Motorway A1 has 101 viaducts, 109 bridges, 129 overpass in 117 underpass.

Some of the largest viaduct in the A1 (span greater than 500 mm (20 in)):

  • Kresnica right 587 m (1,926 ft) and left 587 m (1,926 ft)
  • Pekel right 448 m (1,470 ft) and left 448 m (1,470 ft)
  • Preloge right and left 558 m (1,831 ft)
  • Škedenj I. right 466 m (1,529 ft) and left 563 m (1,847 ft)
  • Ločica right 849 m (2,785 ft) and left 869 m (2,851 ft)
  • Šentožbolt right 410 m (1,350 ft) and left 541 m (1,775 ft)
  • Petelinjek right 622 m (2,041 ft) and left 634 m (2,080 ft)
  • Blagovica right 446 m (1,463 ft) and left 426 m (1,398 ft)
  • Verd right 620 m (2,030 ft) and left 586 m (1,923 ft)
  • Ravbarkomanda right 591 m (1,939 ft) and left 533 m (1,749 ft)
  • Črni kal right 1,046 m (3,432 ft) and left 1,048 m (3,438 ft)
  • Bivje right 575 m (1,886 ft) and left 563 m (1,847 ft)

The Črni Kal Viaduct is the longest viaduct in Slovenia.

References

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  1. ^ "Vrhnika – Postojna". Družba za avtoceste v Republiki Sloveniji. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2013.
  2. ^ "A1 motorway". Družba za avtoceste v Republiki Sloveniji. Archived from the original on 8 November 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2013.
  3. ^ a b Halabica, Michal. "Exit list". Motorways — Exit Lists. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  4. ^ "Toll prices". Družba za avtoceste v Republiki Sloveniji. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2013.
  5. ^ "A1 Vransko – Blagovica". Družba za avtoceste v Republiki Sloveniji. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2013.
  6. ^ "A1 Klanec – Srmin". Družba za avtoceste v Republiki Sloveniji. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2013.