Construction continues in Zagreb as crews work to ease traffic after Vjesnik fire

Construction crews in Zagreb continued work on Sunday to implement a temporary traffic solution around the fire-damaged Vjesnik building, which was gutted by a massive blaze earlier this week.

The partial closure of Slavonska Avenue—one of Croatia’s busiest thoroughfares—has caused severe congestion in recent days, particularly during peak hours. To alleviate the gridlock, the city is adding two temporary lanes on the north side of the avenue, enabling traffic to move in both directions. At present, the underpass below Savska Street and the eastbound above-ground lanes of Slavonska Avenue remain closed.

“Temporary traffic regulations can work very well, but they need to be monitored and adjusted if it becomes clear that something is wrong. The public must adhere to the rules set by the competent authorities,” said Prof. Marko Ševrović of the University of Zagreb’s Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences.

City officials estimate that the work should take around seven to ten days.

Drones were observed circling the damaged tower on Sunday, collecting footage to help structural engineers evaluate the building’s condition. Their assessment will determine when normal traffic can resume.

“We are waiting for the structural engineers’ report. I don’t think they’ve been inside the building yet. When we know that there is little chance the building could collapse, I think we can reopen traffic through the underpass,” Ševrović added.