Renovated Učka Tunnel opens to traffic

The fully renovated and expanded Učka Tunnel officially opened today, promising faster, more efficient travel to Istria. 

The tunnel now features two tubes and two lanes in each direction, significantly boosting capacity and cutting congestion.

A second tube opened last year, but the tunnel—originally built 44 years ago—has now been completely modernized. The €25 million renovation involved a full structural overhaul: stripping the interior, replacing all installations, upgrading the drainage network, protecting nearby water sources, and adding a state-of-the-art traffic safety system.

Transportation Minister Oleg Butković called the tunnel vital to the region.

“The Učka Tunnel is to Istria what the Pelješac Bridge is to southern Dalmatia—the most important infrastructure project changing lives. It will connect our country and open new opportunities,” he said.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković described the tunnel as an “artery of Croatia.”

“It is a pulsating link, and the time it will save—travel from Rijeka to Pula is now about an hour, and from Pula to Zagreb even shorter—is excellent news for everyone.”

Currently, 14,000 to 18,000 vehicles pass through the tunnel daily. The old single-tube design often caused heavy summer traffic jams on both the Istrian and Primorje sides. Once the connecting road to Matulji is fully expanded, Pula–Zagreb travel will drop to roughly 2.5 hours.