A1 closed near Ploče on 4 and 5 November: detours to Dubrovnik

The A1 motorway between the Ploče interchange and the Karamatići toll station closes on two days this week. On Wednesday 4 November 2026 the section is shut in both directions from 08:00 to 18:00. On Thursday 5 November it is closed from 08:00 to 17:00 towards Zagreb only. The motorway operator Hrvatske autoceste (HAC) announced the work on 30 October (HAC), and index.hr reported it on Sunday (index.hr). Crews are servicing the ventilation fans in the Mali Prolog and Kobiljača tunnels. The closure affects drivers heading for Dubrovnik, Neum or the Pelješac peninsula on the A1 or on the A10 from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and on both days traffic leaving Ploče for Zagreb or the Bosnian border.

The official detours

Towards Dubrovnik (4 November only, 08:00 to 18:00), traffic leaves the motorway earlier. Coming down the A1 from Split, exit at the Vrgorac interchange and follow county road Ž6208, state road D62 and county road Ž6276 to Ploče, where you join the D8 coast road. Coming from the Bosnian border on the A10, exit at the Kula Norinska interchange and take the D62 and the Ž6276 to Ploče.

Towards Zagreb and the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina (4 November 08:00 to 18:00 and 5 November 08:00 to 17:00), the route runs the other way: from the D8 in Ploče via the Ž6276 and the D62, then either via the Ž6208 to the Vrgorac interchange and the A1, or straight to the Kula Norinska interchange and the A10. HAC asks drivers to follow the temporary signs.

What it means for visitors

• Use the open hours: the closures apply only in the daytime. On 4 November anyone driving before 08:00 or after 18:00 stays on the motorway. On 5 November the direction to Dubrovnik is open all day.
• Allow extra time: the detour uses state and county roads instead of the motorway. If you have a ferry, a flight from Dubrovnik or a fixed check-in time, set off earlier.
• To Mostar or Međugorje: from Ploče the signed detour leads to the Kula Norinska interchange, where the A10 continues to the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina. Border tips are in our guide to border waiting times.
• Lights on in daytime: since 1 November every car in Croatia must drive with lights on during the day as well, daytime running lights are enough and the fine is 30 euros (details). From 15 November cars on designated winter routes need winter equipment (winter tyres in Croatia).

More roadworks on the way to southern Dalmatia

Two more restrictions apply on the way south. In Lika, HAC has been repairing the Grabara and Ričica bridges between the Gornja Ploča and Sveti Rok interchanges since 5 October (HAC). Until 4 December the carriageway towards Zagreb is closed there, and traffic in both directions shares the carriageway towards Dubrovnik, one lane each. HAC expects queues on the approaches, mainly on Fridays towards Dubrovnik and on Sundays towards Zagreb. On the Makarska Riviera the Sveti Ilija tunnel stays closed until 21 December (our report).

In strong bora winds the A1 between Sveti Rok and Posedarje often runs with restrictions. Over the All Saints weekend the section was at times open to cars only, with a 40 km/h limit (bora and roads over All Saints). HAK, the Croatian auto club, publishes the current status of all roads (HAK).