A9 (Croatia)
 | |
|---|---|
| Autocesta A9 | |
| Istarski ipsilon | |
  | |
| Route information | |
| Length | 76.79 km (47.72 mi) 27.6 km (17.1 mi) as motorway |
| Major junctions | |
| From |  D200 and D510 near Plovanija and Kaštel border crossings to Slovenia |
 A8/B8 near Kanfanar | |
| To |  D66 near Pula |
| Location | |
| Country | Croatia |
| Counties | Istria |
| Major cities | Umag, Poreč, Rovinj, Pula |
| Highway system | |
Template:FixBunching The A9 or B9 is the western section of the Istrian Y expressway in Istria, Croatia. The sections south of Kanfanar (inclusive) are upgraded to motorway (autocesta) standards with four traffic lanes and two carriageways, as of June 20, 2010, while the sections north of the interchange remain a single carriageway (a half-motorway).[1] All intersections are grade separated, without any left turns. The section north of Kanfanar is toll-free, with the exception of a bridge over the Mirna River.[2] Kanfanar - Pula section of the A9 motorway is tolled.
The expressway links the Slovenian border in the north, where it is expected to connect to planned H5 expressway leading towards Koper, Slovenia[3] and Pula in the south. It also provides links to numerous resorts, towns and cities along the western coast of Istria including Umag, Novigrad, Poreč and Rovinj via D300, D301, D302 and D303 state roads respectively.[4][5] This is achieved through a total of 9 completed expressway exits.[6] There are 8 rest areas on the road available to traffic.[7]
Notable structures
There are two particularly noteworthy structures built as a part of the expressway. Those are Mirna Bridge and Limska Draga Viaduct.
Mirna Bridge
Mirna Bridge spans Mirna River. It carries the expressway across the river and its valley, and is the most significant structure built on the route. Overall length of the bridge is 1,354 m, while superstructure of the bridge is 10,10 m wide. The bridge is in use since 2005. Toll is charged to the south of the bridge.[8]
Limska Draga Viaduct
Limska Draga Viaduct has been built in 1991 to span Limska Draga valley. The viaduct is 522 m long, and 12,1 m wide. It comprises continuous box girders of varying depth, across five spans of 80+100+160+100+80 m. The maximum height of the viaduct is 125 m. The viaduct has been incorporated into the route in 1999.[9]
Sections under construction
The A9/B9 route, between Umag and Kanfanar is planned to be upgraded to motorway standards by 2011, one year ahead of schedule, and the works are in progress. Following completion of the expansion, a closed toll collection system is to be put in place.[10][11]
History
Construction of the A9 motorway and the Istrian Y as a whole has its origin in 1968 when the Croatian Parliament endorsed a petition of its members from Istria to promote construction of a modern road between the peninsula and the rest of Croatia. Subsequently, municipalities in Istria started a public loan to fund construction of the Učka Tunnel which started in 1976. The works were completed in 1981 and they also comprised construction of 22.6 km (14.0 mi) long expressway section between Matulji and Lupoglav. The "Y" shape formed by the A9 and A8 expressways was originally defined by Rijeka and Istria spatial planning documents and incorporated in spatial planning documents of the Republic of Croatia in 1988 - defining Kanfanar interchange as a junction between the A9 and A8 motorways.
The first section of the A9 expressway to be built was 7.4 km (4.6 mi) long section between Medaki and Kanfanar. Its construction started in 1988 and was completed in 1991, which included the 552 m (1,811 ft) viaduct across Lim Valley. Buje - Nova Vas section (6.2 km (3.9 mi)) was built between 1990 and 1992. Between 1997 and 1999, all sections between Medaki and Vodnjan were completed. The construction works on the section between Umag and Medaki started in 2003 and were completed by 2005. Finally in 2005 construction of the southernmost section between Vodnjan and Pula started and was completed by the end of the 2006, marking completion of the Istrian Y as an expressway.
As the construction works were comparatively slow due to lack of funding, a motorway concession for the A8 and A9 motorways was granted to BINA Istra for a period of 32 years. The concession agreement mandated construction, maintenance and management of the expressways and their upgrade to the motorway standards (dual carriageway) when the AADT reaches 10,000 vehicles or when the average summer daily traffic reaches 16,000 vehicles. The latter was achieved in 2005 and the motorway upgrade works started in 2008, even though the AADT at the time was merely 8,500 vehicles.[12]
Traffic volume
Traffic is regularly counted and reported by Autocesta Rijeka - Zagreb, operator of the motorway, and published by Hrvatske Ceste.[13] Substantial variations between annual (AADT) and summer (ASDT) traffic volumes are attributed to the fact that the motorway carries substantial tourist traffic to the northern Adriatic resorts.
| A9 traffic volume details | ||||
| Road | Counting site | AADT | ASDT | Notes |
| A9
|
2722 Mirna toll plaza | 4,659 | 10,821 | Between Nova Vas and Višnjan interchanges. |
| A9
|
2715 Limska Draga | 6,665 | 12,546 | Between Medaki and Kanfanar interchanges. |
| A9
|
3901 Vodnjan north | 6,388 | 12,139 | Between Kanfanar and Vodnjan interchanges. |
Exit and service area list
| County | km | Exit | Name[14] | Destination[4] | Notes |
| Istria | 3.1 | - | Border access roundabout | D200 D510
|
Connection to Kaštel and Plovanija border crossings to Slovenia via D200 and D510 state roads respectively.[15][16][17] From those points the route continues through Slovenia as route 111 and 11 respectively, towards Slovenian A1 motorway and Trieste, Italy. The expressway is planned to be extended to the Slovenian border, to continue as H5 expressway (planned). The northern terminus of the expressway. |
| 4.6 | 1 | Umag | Ž5002 | Connection to Umag. The northernmost completed interchange of the A9/B9 expressway. The northbound A9 traffic defaults to a 1.5 kilometres (0.93 miles) two-lane connector road terminating at a roundabout junction with the D200 and D510 state roads. | |
| 6.3 | 
|
Buje rest area | ,_StVO_1992.svg){kind=small} Accessible to traffic directions. | ||
| 10.6 | 2 | Buje |  D300
|
Connection to Buje and Umag. | |
| 16.3 | 3 | Nova Vas |  D301
|
Connection to Novigrad, Nova Vas and Brtonigla. | |
| 18.9 | Mirna Bridge | ||||
| 22.5 | 
|
Mirna Bridge toll plaza | |||
| 24.8 |
|
Mirna rest area |  Accessible both to northbound and southbound traffic. | ||
| 4 | 30.9 | Višnjan | Ž5042 | Connection to Višnjan. | |
| 35.6 |
|
Bačva | ,_StVO_1992.svg){kind=small} ,_StVO_1992.svg){kind=small} Operated by INA. Accessible both to northbound and southbound traffic. | ||
| 38.1 | 5 | Baderna |  D302
|
Connection to Poreč and Baderna. | |
| 46.4 | 6 | Medaki |  D21
|
Connection to Funtana, Vrsar and Medaki. | |
| 51.5 |
|
Limski rest area | Accessible to southbound traffic only. | ||
| 52.1 | Limska Draga Viaduct | ||||
| 53.6 | 7 | Kanfanar | A8/B8 D303
|
Connection to A8/B8 expressway towards Rijeka, and to Rovinj via D303 state road. | |
| 61.6 |
|
Bale rest area | Accessible both to northbound and southbound traffic. | ||
| 69.0 | 7a | Vodnjan sjever (north) | D21
|
Connection to Vodnjan. | |
| 74.0 | 8 | Vodnjan jug (south) | D21
|
Connection to Vodnjan, Galižana, Fažana and Brijuni National Park. | |
| 76.5 |
|
Pula rest area | Parking area only | ||
| 81.4 | 9 | Pula | D66
|
Connection to Pula, Pula Airport and Marčana, as well as to Pula ferry port via D400 state road. The southern terminus of the road. An additional county road, originating in the interchange, acting as an additional Pula bypass road, terminating in Pomer, is under construction. It is expected to be completed in 2011.[18] | |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
Sources
- ^ "Kosor to open Kanafanar - Pula motorway". Glas Istre (in Croatian). June 17, 2010.
- ^ "Toll on the Istrian Y". BINA Istra. May 15, 2010.
- ^ "H5 Koper - Dragonja" (in Slovenian). May 14, 2010.
- ^ a b "Decision on categorization of public roads as state roads, county roads and local roads". Narodne novine (in Croatian). February 17, 2010.
- ^ Overview map of the A9 (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved September 22, 2010.
- ^ "Interchanges of the Y". BINA Istra. May 15, 2010.
- ^ "Rest areas of the Y". BINA Istra. May 15, 2010.
- ^ "The most important road structures". BINA Istra. May 14, 2010.
- ^ "The most important road structures". BINA Istra. May 14, 2010.
- ^ "Pula - Kanfanar section as a motorway by summer of 2010". Novi List (in Croatian). May 14, 2010.
- ^ "Full profile motorway construction plan". BINA Istra. May 15, 2010.
- ^ "Second phase of Istrian Upsilon" (PDF). Građevinar. June 15, 2010.
- ^ "Traffic counting on the roadways of Croatia in 2009 - digest" (PDF). Hrvatske Ceste. May 1, 2010.
- ^ "Regulation on motorway markings, chainage, interchange/exit/rest area numbers and names". Narodne novine (in Croatian). April 24, 2003.
- ^ "A more comfortable and faster route to Slovenian borer". Glas Istre (in Croatian). March 10, 2010.
- ^ "Istrian Y to Kaštel and Plovanija". i Press (in Croatian). June 28, 2010.
- ^ "Map of border crossings and customs office areas" (PDF). Customs Administration of the Republic of Croatia (in Croatian). March 6, 2008.
- ^ "The second Pula bypass road finished by 2011". Glas Istre (in Croatian). July 15, 2009.
