The Sveti Ilija tunnel under Biokovo, the short way from the A1 at Zagvozd down to Baška Voda and Makarska, closes to all traffic from Sunday 18 October 2026. Hrvatske ceste allows 90 working days for drainage repairs. The detour runs via Grubine, Cista Provo and Dubci.
Checked: 8 October 2026, 17:07
Status of the reports: Thursday 8 October 2026. The Sveti Ilija tunnel on state road DC76, the direct link between the Makarska Riviera, the Imotski hinterland and the A1 motorway at Zagvozd, closes to all traffic from Sunday 18 October 2026. Hrvatske ceste, the state road company, is repairing the inspection shafts of the tunnel's closed drainage system, and the contract allows 90 working days for the job (Dalmacija News, tportal). No reopening date has been announced; 90 working days take the closure into the first months of 2027.
The tunnel is 4,248 metres long and runs under Biokovo from Bast near Baška Voda to Rastovac near Zagvozd. It opened in July 2013 and has been toll-free since 2018 (Wikipedia). For drivers heading to Baška Voda, Makarska or Tučepi, the Zagvozd exit of the A1 and the tunnel are the shortest way down to the coast. Slobodna Dalmacija calls it the most important tunnel of the Zagora; for people from the Imotski area who work on the coast, the daily drive gets roughly twice as long (Slobodna Dalmacija).
The official detour
Hrvatske ceste sends traffic from Imotski via Grubine (DC60) and Cista Provo (DC39) to Dubci on the coast road DC8, and on to Makarska, and the same way back (net.hr). The works start after the main tourist season on purpose, to keep the disruption on the coastal roads small (tportal).
What it means for visitors
- Coming down the A1 from Zagreb or Split: on the map, the Šestanovac exit leads onto the same DC39 towards Dubci; from Dubci the coast road runs south through Brela and Baška Voda to Makarska. Leaving the A1 at Zagvozd now only makes sense for Imotski.
- From Split Airport or Split city: the coast road DC8 via Omiš is not affected and leads straight to Brela and Makarska.
- From the south (Ploče, Dubrovnik): the coast road DC8 north to Makarska is open as usual.
- Only the tunnel closes: the A1 motorway and the coast road stay open. Check the road situation on the day of travel with HAK (hak.hr).
What is being repaired
The works cover the inspection shafts of the drainage system: damaged covers, frames and reinforced concrete slabs, and the opening mechanism; some shafts are rebuilt completely. Hidrostres from Zagreb carries out the works, Sollertia constructum from Split supervises them. "The aim is to ensure the long-term functionality of the drainage system and the safe use of the tunnel," Hrvatske ceste said (Dalmacija News).
Frequently asked questions
- When does the Sveti Ilija tunnel close?
- From Sunday 18 October 2026, for all traffic. The contract allows 90 working days; Hrvatske ceste has not given a reopening date.
- How do I get from the A1 to Makarska while it is closed?
- The official detour runs Imotski, Grubine, Cista Provo, Dubci, Makarska. From the A1, the Šestanovac exit leads onto the DC39 to Dubci, then the coast road DC8 south to Brela, Baška Voda and Makarska.
- Is the coast road affected?
- No. Only the tunnel on the DC76 closes; the coast road DC8 and the A1 motorway stay open.
Official sources
- Dalmacija News: Sveti Ilija closes to all traffic, what drivers need to know
- tportal: notice to drivers, the Sveti Ilija tunnel closes for months
- net.hr: the tunnel linking Makarska and the hinterland closes, detour route
- Slobodna Dalmacija: the most important tunnel of the Zagora closes for months
- Wikipedia: Sveti Ilija Tunnel
- HAK: current road conditions
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