Highways in Croatia

Highways in Croatia are the main transport network in Croatia. The Croatian classification includes several classes of highways:

• The main motorway routes are prefixed with an A (for autocesta) and accompanied by one or two digits. They are controlled-access highways with tolls using a ticket system.
• Expressways (brza cesta) are toll-free limited-access highways with grade-separated intersections and fast speed limits. They are similar to the motorways, but are not always dual carriageways and they may have no emergency lanes. Their speed limit is always lower than the motorways. They either have standalone designations or are parts of non-motorway state routes, such as the D prefixed highways described further below.
• Roads dedicated for motor vehicles (cesta namijenjena isključivo za promet motornih vozila), which is another category of limited-access highways. They usually have multiple lanes and separated carriageways but may have at-grade intersections. This class of roads has no specific numbering convention, only a dedicated traffic sign. State routes (D roads) or portions thereof may be designated in this manner. An example is Jadranska Avenue in Zagreb, designated as Ž1040, a county road.

Other than the motorway routes, the national road classification includes the following enumerated categories of routes in the national highway system, with decreasing order of priority:

• State roads, which are marked by letter D (državna cesta) and a single, double or triple digit number.
• County roads always are marked by letter Ž (županijska cesta) and a four digit number.
• The lowest classification comprises local roads, marked by letter L (lokalna cesta) and a five digit number.

Road operators differ according to the classification system: The designated motorways are operated by three different concessionaires. The state roads are maintained almost exclusively by Hrvatske ceste, while the county and local roads are managed by various county authorities. The road maintenance agencies are governed by various laws issued by the Parliament as well as bylaws issued by the Ministry of Transport.