New fast road route to connect Dubrovnik with its airport

A new route has been presented for a planned fast road connecting Dubrovnik with Dubrovnik Ruđer Bošković Airport, with the project set to move towards an environmental impact assessment.

The proposed route was discussed at a working meeting at Dubrovnik-Neretva County headquarters, attended by Ivica Budimir, president of the management board of Croatian Roads (Hrvatske ceste), and county and local officials.

According to Dubrovnik-Neretva County, the route has been developed in line with spatial plans and is intended to improve road connections around Dubrovnik and the wider area.

Budimir outlined the proposed alignment, which would begin in Osojnik and continue towards the airport in Čilipi.

The route would descend towards a bridge crossing the Rijeka Dubrovačka inlet before bypassing the city along the northern side of Mount Srđ. A road interchange is planned in this section to provide a key connection to Dubrovnik.

From there, the route would continue towards Orsula and pass above Župa dubrovačka, between built-up areas and the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, before reaching Dubrovnik Airport.

The planned road would then continue towards Gruda in the Konavle area.

Project to be developed in stages

Budimir said construction would be carried out in stages, with an environmental impact assessment identified as the next step in the project.

The announcement marks progress in planning a new road connection intended to improve access to Dubrovnik Airport and links between the city and surrounding areas.

Dubrovnik-Neretva County Prefect Blaž Pezo, together with mayors and municipal heads, expressed satisfaction with the proposed route and the agreement reached through cooperation between the relevant authorities.

Pezo said the county and Croatian Roads had worked intensively on the route over the past year and described the project as a priority.

He also stressed that improvements to the existing state road network would remain necessary while the new road is being developed.

The condition of the current state road was also discussed at the meeting, with Pezo noting that interventions would be required before the planned project is completed.

No construction timetable or overall project cost was provided in the county’s announcement.