Roads are jammed as Croatia hits peak part of the tourism season

Tourism in Croatia is hitting peak-season this weekend. Traffic was heavy throughout the country on Saturday but it was particularly congested on the A1 towards the coast and on local roads leading to major holiday destinations. 

The largest influx of traffic was coming onto the A1 in Lučko in the direction of the coast. The line toward the tollbooths was eight kilometers long at one point.

"It's all part of the summer holidays!" one driver told HRT as he moved with a column of vehicles slowly towards Lučko earlier on Saturday.

Split ferry port is also very busy.

"The pressure is increasing. We are expecting more than 68 thousand travelers and more than 15 thousand vehicles this weekend. It's typical for the third weekend in July,” said Jelena Ivulic from Jadrolinija, the national ferry operator.

Jadrolinja said they are seeing a 2% increase in traffic from last year. The company has added extra lines to keep the flow of vehicles going.

While the ferry port is managing a rapid turnover, travelers are getting stuck in traffic on the way through Split to the ferry port. During peak hours, this journey can take up to 50 minutes for only a few kilometers.

"I've been waiting for half an hour. Honestly, this is horrible. Horrible...a disaster. It's going to take an hour and a half!"

"I wasn't expecting this. It took thirty to forty-five minutes just to get here and we'll see how the rest will go," frustrated drivers stuck in traffic on the way to the port told HRT.

Split Airport is also having a busy weekend.

"We are expecting 215 planes and more than 55 thousand passengers to pass through this weekend,” said Mate Melvan, the head of Passenger Services at Split Airport.

Split Airport now offers direct flights to 89 destinations in 24 countries.

Road traffic was very heavy on the Krk Bridge as well, with lines in both directions stretching up to 4 kilometers at one point.

The Croatian Auto Club is advising drivers to slow down and to adjust their driving style to the current conditions on the roads.