Transport in Slovenia

Črni Kal Viaduct on the A1 motorway

The Port of Koper

The location at the junction of the Mediterranean, the Alps, the Dinarides and the Pannonian Plain and the area being traversed by major rivers have been the reasons for the intersection of the main transport routes in Slovenia. Their course was established already in the Antiquity. A particular geographic advantage in recent times has been the location of the intersection of the Pan-European transport corridors V (the fastest link between the North Adriatic, and Central and Eastern Europe) and X (linking Central Europe with the Balkans) in the country. This gives it a special position in the European social, economic and cultural integration and restructuring.

Railways

total: 1,229 km operated by Slovenian Railways
standard gauge: 1,229 km 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) gauge (electrified 503,5 km) (2004)

Railway links with adjacent countries

• Italy - yes
• Croatia - yes
• Hungary - yes
• Austria - yes

Roads

total: 20,155 km
paved: 18,381 km (including 504 km of expressways)
unpaved: 1,774 km (2004 est.)

Roads in Slovenia are under the auspices of the Slovenian Roads Agency, a body within the Ministry of Transport. The basic two categories are:

• state roads
  • highways (see below)
• municipal roads

According to the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia, there were recorded in 2007:

• 6,476 kilometres of state roads
• 32,233 kilometres of municipal roads

Highways

Main article: Highways in Slovenia

The first highway in Slovenia, the A1, was opened in 1972. It connects Vrhnika and Postojna. Constructed under the liberal minded government of Stane Kavčič their development plan envisioned a modern highway network spanning Slovenia and connecting the republic to Italy and Austria. After the liberal fraction of the Communist Party of Slovenia was deposed, expansion of the Slovenian highway network came to a halt. In the 90s the new country started the 'National Programme of Highway Construction', effectively re-using the old communist plans. Since then about 400 km of motorways, expressways and similar roads have been completed, easing automotive transport across the country and providing a strong road service between eastern and western Europe. This has provided a boost to the national economy, encouraging the development of transportation and export industries.

There are two types of highways in Slovenia. Avtocesta (abbr. AC) are dual carriage way motorways with a speed limit of 130 km/h. They have green road signs as in Italy, Croatia and other countries. A hitra cesta (HC) is a secondary road also a dual carriageway but without a hard shoulder for emergencies. They have a speed limit of 110 km/h and have blue road signs.

Since the 1st June 2008 highway users in Slovenia have been required to buy a vignette. This system was investigated by the EU Commission that it was unfair upon holiday makers and other non Slovenian users of the highway system. On 28 January 2010, after short-term vignettas were introduced by Slovenia and some other changes were made to the Slovenian vignette system, the European Commission concluded that the vignette system is in accordance with the European law.

According to the Slovenian Motorway Company Act valid since December 2010, the construction and building of highways in Slovenia is carried out and financed by private companies, primarily the Motorway Company in the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: Družba za avtoceste v Republiki Sloveniji, acronym DARS), while the strategic planning and the acquisition of land for their course is carried out and financed by the Government of Slovenia. The highways are owned by DARS.

Pipelines

crude oil 11 km; natural gas 2,526 km (2003)

Ports and harbours

The Port of Koper was established in 1957 and opened to international trade in 1958. The port has since been much expanded, and in 2007 more than 15 million tonnes of cargo passed through it. Making it the second biggest port in the North Eastern Adriatic after Port of Trieste and before Rijeka.

Further development and expansion of the port in Koper now depends largely on the construction of the third pier and on the opening of a second rail track between Koper and the Slovene rail network to ease the transport of goods from the port to the rest of Slovenia and Europe. This work still needs to be announced by the national government and local authorities, with whom the provision of theses new facilities largely rests.

There are small fishing harbours in Koper, Izola and Piran and three marinas in Koper (Marina Koper), Izola (Marina Izola) and Lucija (Marina Portorož).

History

Until the end of World War I the main Austrian imperial Port of Trieste (Slovene: Trst, German: Triest) was the main port serving Slovenia. As the city stood was surrounded by territory that was largely inhabited by Slovenes and in the city itself, the population was around a third Slovene. It was hoped by Slovenian and Yugoslav nationalists, that following World War I, it would, based on Wilson's 14 points, form a part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. However, the city was granted to Italy and due to its largely Italian population remains so to this day. After World War II, and the 1954 London Memorandum sealed the Italian status of Trieste, the Slovenian and Yugoslav Federal governments were forced to give up their claims on the city. They decided therefore to build a new port in Koper.

Airports

Slovenia has 3 international airports of any note. Ljubljana airport is by far the busiest airport in the country with connections to many major European destinations. More than 1,5 million passengers pass through per annum and 22,000 tonnes of cargo is moved per year. The second largest international airport serves Maribor. However, this has struggled since Slovenian independence due to economic changes in the Maribor region. Only 30,000 passengers passed through in 2007. There is also a small international airport in Sečovlje on the Slovene littoral, near the resort town of Portorož, which only serves small private aircraft.

Airports: 15 (2004)
Airstrips: 44 (2004)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 6
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 4 (2004 est.)

External links

• DARS, Motorway Company in the Republic of Slovenia
• Ljubljana Airport
• The port of Koper
• Maribor Airport
• Slovene railways

See also

• List of airports in Slovenia
• List of tunnels in Slovenia