A2 motorway (Slovenia)
Encyclopedia
The A2 motorway is a motorway in Slovenia
, around 175 km long, connecting Karavanke Tunnel
(at the Austria
n border) via the capital city Ljubljana
to Obrežje
(at the Croatia
n border, near Zagreb
). It connects several larger Slovenian cities, including Kranj
, Ljubljana and Novo Mesto
, and is part of the Pan-European corridor X.
The motorway was completed in 2011. The first two sections, Naklo - Kranj - Šentvid, had originally been completed in 1985.
The route of the motorway largely follows the path of the Brotherhood and Unity Highway, which was a two-lane undivided road constructed as the main traffic artery within Yugoslavia
. With the construction of the divided motorway, most of the previous road was demolished. A notable exception can be seen on the southern A2 segment between Grosuplje
and Višnja Gora
, where the previous road was grandfathered into the motorway system - it lacks a hard shoulder, contains sharp turns and an exit ramp with a 10% grade. The northern segment between Višnja Gora
and Grosuplje
follows a completely different path, with three traffic lanes and a relatively lower grade.
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
, around 175 km long, connecting Karavanke Tunnel
Karawanken Tunnel (motorway)
The Karawanken Tunnel is a motorway tunnel crossing the Alpine Karavanke mountain range between Austria and Slovenia, with a total length of , enclosure between the portals.Its construction began in 1986 and it opened on June 1, 1991...
(at the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n border) via the capital city Ljubljana
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
to Obrežje
Obrežje
Obrežje is a settlement in the Brežice municipality in eastern Slovenia, close to the border with Croatia. A major motorway border crossing is located here. Obrežje is the end/start of Slovenia's A2 motorway. It connects to Croatia's A3 Motorway. Both motorways form part of the European route...
(at the Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n border, near Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
). It connects several larger Slovenian cities, including Kranj
Kranj
' is the third largest municipality and fourth largest city in Slovenia, with a population of 54,500 . It is located approximately 20 km north-west of Ljubljana...
, Ljubljana and Novo Mesto
Novo Mesto
Novo Mesto is a city and municipality in southeastern Slovenia, close to the border with Croatia. The town is traditionally considered the economic and cultural centre of the historic Lower Carniola region.-Geography:...
, and is part of the Pan-European corridor X.
The motorway was completed in 2011. The first two sections, Naklo - Kranj - Šentvid, had originally been completed in 1985.
The route of the motorway largely follows the path of the Brotherhood and Unity Highway, which was a two-lane undivided road constructed as the main traffic artery within Yugoslavia
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
. With the construction of the divided motorway, most of the previous road was demolished. A notable exception can be seen on the southern A2 segment between Grosuplje
Grosuplje
Grosuplje is a town and a municipality in central Slovenia. It lies just south of the capital Ljubljana in the traditional region of Lower Carniola. It is now included in the Central Slovenia statistical region....
and Višnja Gora
Višnja Gora
Višnja Gora is a settlement in the Ivančna Gorica municipality in central Slovenia. It is one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Slovenia. The area is part of the historical region of Lower Carniola...
, where the previous road was grandfathered into the motorway system - it lacks a hard shoulder, contains sharp turns and an exit ramp with a 10% grade. The northern segment between Višnja Gora
Višnja Gora
Višnja Gora is a settlement in the Ivančna Gorica municipality in central Slovenia. It is one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Slovenia. The area is part of the historical region of Lower Carniola...
and Grosuplje
Grosuplje
Grosuplje is a town and a municipality in central Slovenia. It lies just south of the capital Ljubljana in the traditional region of Lower Carniola. It is now included in the Central Slovenia statistical region....
follows a completely different path, with three traffic lanes and a relatively lower grade.
External links
- A2 Karavanke - Obrežje at DARS, the national motorway operator of Slovenia
- Exit list of A2