Opatija by detour: Matulji junction closed until 12 December

Drivers heading for Opatija or Matulji face a detour from 19:00 on Friday 23 October 2026. Ramps 3 and 4 of the Matulji junction on the A8 motorway close until 12 December. The closed link runs between the temporary roundabout on the A8 and the roundabout on the D8 state road in Matulji. Hrvatske autoceste (HAC) announced the closure, Glas Istre reports. It affects trips from Istria, from Slovenia and from Rijeka to Opatija and back. The detour runs via the Trinajstići junction on the A7.

The reason is the rebuilding and extension of the junction. The first phase covers new internal drainage and a rebuilt carriageway. The contractor is GP Krk, and HAC sets up the temporary traffic plan, Novi list writes, citing the City of Rijeka's traffic centre. Three phases are planned in total.

The detours by direction

• From Ljubljana and Trieste to Matulji and Opatija: leave the A7 at the Trinajstići exit, then continue on the D8 state road and the local road L58108 to your destination.
• From Opatija and Matulji to Ljubljana and Trieste: take the D8 and the L58108 to the Trinajstići junction, then the A7 via the Učka junction.
• From Pula and Pazin to Matulji and Opatija: stay on the A8 to the Matulji junction, continue via the Učka junction on the A7 to Trinajstići, then take the L58108 onto the D8.
• From Opatija and Matulji to Istria: take the D8 and the L58108 to the Trinajstići and Učka junctions and on to the Matulji junction on the A8.
• From Rijeka and Zagreb to Opatija: use the Trinajstići junction on the A7, then the L58108 and the D8. In the opposite direction the L58108 joins the A7 at Trinajstići, and the route continues via the Učka junction.

What it means for visitors

The closure mainly hits guests of the Opatija Riviera, with Volosko, Ika and Lovran, who arrive by car through Slovenia. They now leave the motorway at Trinajstići instead of Matulji. HAC expects queues at the exits and heavier traffic on the detour roads. It asks drivers to take extra care and follow the temporary signs. Sat navs may not show the closure yet, so the signs on site come first.

The first phase is scheduled to end on 12 December. That covers the first two weeks of Advent in Opatija, which runs from 27 November 2026 to 6 January 2027. If you arrive on an Advent weekend, allow extra time for the last few kilometres. From 15 November Croatia's winter equipment rules also apply.

What happens after 12 December

After the first phase ramps 3 and 4 reopen. In the second phase the superstructure of the Živice south viaduct is repaired. Traffic there runs one way only, from Istria towards Rijeka. This phase is planned to last 30 days. Rijeka's traffic centre then expects more traffic at the Diračje junction and on city roads in Rijeka. In the third phase all traffic moves to the new Živice north viaduct in both directions, also for a planned 30 days.