Sveti Rok Tunnel

The Sveti Rok Tunnel is the long road tunnel that carries the A1 motorway under the Velebit mountains, close to the village of Sveti Rok in the Lika region. At roughly 5.7 kilometres it is among the longest road tunnels in Croatia, and for anyone driving between Zagreb and the Dalmatian coast it is one of the defining moments of the journey: you enter in the grey, upland country of Lika and come out into the brighter landscape on the Adriatic side.

The mountain it passes under is the reason for the tunnel. Velebit is a long limestone barrier running parallel to the sea, and for centuries it separated the inland plateaus from the coast, with only a few steep passes between them. The motorway solved that problem by going straight through. The two ends of the tunnel lie at different altitudes on opposite sides of the range, and the approach from the south drops down toward the junction at Rovanjska and Maslenica, where the road meets the coast near the Zadar area. The tunnel is built as two separate tubes, one for each direction of traffic, with the safety features expected of modern road tunnels: emergency exits, communication systems, drainage and variable message signs.

The setting outside also affects driving. This stretch of Velebit is known for its bura, the cold, dry wind that pours down from the mountains, and strong gusts near the tunnel have caused traffic restrictions on the motorway in winter. Drivers are advised to check traffic information before travelling and to follow the instructions on the variable signs.

The tunnel is not a place to stop. There is no viewpoint inside, and pedestrians are not allowed in the tubes. While the tunnel is no sightseeing stop, its interest lies in what it represents, a major piece of modern Croatian engineering that opened up Dalmatia to year-round road travel, and in the landscape around it. The village of Sveti Rok and the surrounding hills offer quiet countryside with stone houses and pastures, and travellers heading for Paklenica, Zadar or the national parks often break the journey at rest areas nearby for coffee or a meal.

Plan to pass through the tunnel in daylight if you can, keep to the speed limit, keep headlights on and leave a safe distance. In heavy summer traffic queues can form at the toll stations and tunnel approaches, so allow extra time on busy weekends.