First portals on A3 motorway as part of new toll collection system

On Tuesday, November 4, work will begin on the A3 motorway to install the first seven portals as part of the implementation of the Crolibertas system, a new, fully digital and unified electronic toll collection system, announced Croatian Motorways.

The first seven portals will be installed on the section between Popovača and Novska. Three portals will be installed on the motorway route itself: Popovača-Kutina, Kutina-Lipovljani and Lipovljani-Novska, and four portals in the motorway entry zone, at the locations of the current toll stations: Popovača, Kutina, Lipovljani and Novska.

The system, called Crolibertas, will be introduced on all motorways in the Republic of Croatia, operated by Croatian Motorways (HAC), Bina Istra and Autocesta Zagreb-Macelj. It is based on the concept of non-stop driving, in a free flow of vehicles, which allows users to travel on motorways faster, easier and more modernly.

The construction work on the portal includes the construction of foundations, the installation of the steel part of the structure (columns and crossbeam), the replacement or installation of a new crash barrier, electrical and other supporting works, and will be carried out in several phases. During the work, traffic will flow under temporary traffic regulations in such a way that the stop lane will be closed, and if necessary, the driving lane, depending on the dynamics of the work itself. At the time of the installation of the crossbeam, due to the maneuvering and spatial capabilities of the crane, traffic will be stopped for a short time, or it will be redirected to bypass routes, HAC pointed out.

The work will be carried out in conditions of lower traffic intensity, during the evening and night hours. The establishment of temporary traffic regulations is necessary to ensure the safety of the contractors and the safety of motorway users.

HAC asks drivers to pay attention to the temporary traffic regulations on the mentioned sections, as the traffic management (one or two traffic lanes) will change from day to day.

They also state that the implementation of the Crolibertas system is a technically and infrastructurally demanding project, and includes the installation of a total of 212 portals along the motorway network, the installation of advanced IT equipment, the execution of construction works on the ground under traffic, as well as the establishment of the system in the "backoffice" data processing centers. In parallel with the installation of the portals with equipment (cameras, antennas), tests will be carried out to ensure the functionality of each segment. After the implementation of all portals and related equipment is completed, comprehensive testing of the entire system at the network level will follow.

Highest technological and safety standards

The statement emphasizes that the company SkyToll, which is the contractor of the new toll collection system, is carrying out all activities in accordance with the highest technological and safety standards. Part of the equipment, including portals, a bumper fence and a prototype surveillance vehicle, has already been delivered to Croatia and is in warehouses ready for further distribution and installation.

As a reminder, the contract for the implementation of the new toll collection system was signed by HAC with a consortium of bidders consisting of the Slovak company SkyToll and the Czech company TollNet. The value of the contract is almost 80 million euros excluding VAT, and the funds for the investment were provided through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The new toll collection system Crolibertas will enable contactless toll collection for passenger and freight vehicles. Toll collection will be carried out electronically, without restrictions on traffic flow or the need for vehicles to stop at the beginning or end of the toll section.

The system will use two existing and globally proven technologies - ALPR technology, which is focused on toll collection for users of light vehicles and recognizes vehicle license plates and monitors toll payment for all vehicles, and DSRC technology, which will be used to collect tolls for users of ENC devices.

Source: HRT