Transport in Slovenia

Railways

"total:"1,229 km operated by Slovenian Railways
"standard gauge:"1,229 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified 503,5 km) (2004)

Railway links with adjacent countries

* Italy - yes
* Croatia - yes
* Hungary - yes
* Austria - yes

Highways

"total:"20,155 km
"paved:"18,381 km (including 504 km of expressways)
"unpaved:"1,774 km (2004 est.)

The first highway in Slovenia was open on the A1 in 1970 connecting Vrhnika and Postojna. It was constructed by the liberal minded government of Stane Kavčič which envisioned a modern highway network spanning Slovenia and connecting the republic to neighbouring Italy and Austria. But soon the liberal fraction of the Communist Party of Slovenia was deposed and construction of the so called Slovene highway cross came to a sudden halt until the 90s when the young country started its National Programme of Highway Construction. Since then about 400km of motorways, expressways and similar roads have been made, easing automotive transport in and across the country and connecting its economy firmly with that of Central and Western Europe and The Balkans.

There are two types of highways in Slovenia. Avtocesta (abr. AC) is a divided road with two lanes in each direction and a shoulder on the right side reserved for vehicle breakdowns with the speed limit at 130 km/h similar to Autobahns in Germany but with green road signs as in Italy, Croatia and other countries. Hitra cesta is a road with two lanes in each direction, without a shoulder for emergencies, a speed limit of 100 km/h and has blue road signs.

The users of motor and expressways in Slovenia are obliged to buy vignettes since 1.7.2008.

In 2008 construction continues on 159km of highways of which a total of 94km are to be open for traffic in the same year and onstruction on 10km of highways will begin.

List of motorways

* A1 (Slovenika)
** Route: Šentilj (Austrian border) - Maribor (H2) - Celje - Ljubljana (A2, H3) - Postojna - Razdrto (H4) - Divača (A3) - Koper (H5)
** Section Maribor vzhod - Pesnica (10,5km) is expected to be completed by 2009
** Description: http://motorways-exitlists.com/europe/slo/a1.htm
* A2 (Ilirika)
** Route: Karavanke Tunnel (Austrian border) - Jesenice - Kranj - Ljubljana (A1, H3) - Novo Mesto - Brežice - Obrežje (Croatian border)
** completion of section Lešnica - Kronovo (5,5km) is due by the end of 2008 and section Pluska - Hrastje (14,8km) is due in 2009
** Description: http://motorways-exitlists.com/europe/slo/a2.htm
* A3
** Route: Gabrk - Sežana - Fernetiči (Italian border)
* "'A4 (Podravski krak or The Pyhrn motorway)
** Route: Slivnica - Ptuj - Gruškovje (Croatian border)
** no section has yet been open to traffic, however construction is in progress on section Slivnica - Draženci (19,9km)
* A5 (Pomurski krak)
** Route: Maribor - Murska Sobota - Lendava - Pince (Hungarian border)
** Section Lenart - Vučja vas (28,8km) is due for completion in October 2008

List of expressways

* H2 - the expressway through Maribor
** Route: Tržaška c. (A1) - Tezno - Pesnica (A1)
* H3 - northern section of Ljubljana orbital motorway
** Route: Zadobrova - Koseze
* H4
** Route: Razdrto - Ajdovščina - Nova Gorica - Vrtojba (Italian border)
**section Razdrto - Vipava (15,8km) is due for completion in autumn 2008
* H5
** Route: Škofije (Italian border) - Srmin (A1) - Koper - Izola - Lucija
** sections Koper - Izola and Jagodje - Lucija is due for completion after 2009
* HC Koper - Dragonja (planned)
** Route: Koper - Dragonja (Croatian border)
** no section has yet been open to traffic

= Pipelines =

crude oil 11 km; natural gas 2,526 km (2003)

Ports and harbours

Until the end of World War I the main Austrian imperial port of Trieste ( _sl. Trst, _de. Triest) was also the main port of Slovene lands. As the city stood surrounded by territory inhabited by Slovenes and having itself almost a third of Slovenes among its then diverse and cosmopolitan population it was hoped that it would, based on Wilson's 14 points, form a part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. But after the city fell to Italy and remained under Italy also after World War II which was finnalized in the London memorandum in 1954 the need to build a new port for the ambitious Slovene economy emerged. Thus the port of Koper was established in 1957 and opened to international trade in 1958. The port underwent several expansions during its years in operation and in 2007 more than 15 million tonnes of cargo passed through placing it in the 2nd place among the three regional rivals (Trieste, Koper, Rijeka).Further development and expansion of the port in Koper however now depends largely on the construction of the third peer and on the opening of a second rail track between Koper and the Slovnene rail network to ease the transport of goods from the port to the rest of Slovenia and Europe. In both cases much if not all depends on governmental and local authorities.

There are small fishing harbours in Koper, Izola and Piran and three marinas in Koper (Marina Koper), Izola (Marina Izola) and Lucija (Marina Portorož).

Airports

Ljubljana airport is by far the busiest airport in the country with connections to all major European destinations is serving more than 1,5 million passengers per annum and carrying 22.000 tonnes of cargo per year. The second largest international airport serves Maribor but has been stagnating since Slovenia's independence after which most of the city's industrial giants went bankrupt and only served 30.000 passengers in 2007. There is also a small international airport in Sečovlje on the Slovene littoral, near the resort town of Portorož, that only serves small private aircraft.

Airports:15 (2004)
Airstrips:44 (2004)

Airports - with paved runways

"total:"6
"over 3,047 m:"1
"2,438 to 3,047 m:"1
"1,524 to 2,437 m:"1
"914 to 1,523 m:"2
"under 914 m:"1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

"total:"8
"1,524 to 2,437 m:"2
"914 to 1,523 m:"2
"under 914 m:"4 (2004 est.)

External links

* [http://www.dars.si/Default.aspx?lang=2 DARS, Motorway Company in the Republic of Slovenia]
* [http://www.lju-airport.si/eng/default.asp Ljubljana Airport]
* [http://www.luka-kp.si/intro The port of Koper]
* [http://www.maribor-airport.si Maribor Airport]
* [http://www.slo-zeleznice.si/en/ Slovene railways]

See also

*Slovenia
*Adria Airways
*List of airports in Slovenia
*List of tunnels in Slovenia