[SLO] Slovenian Highways • Slovenske avtoceste

[edolen1]

It was either that or the first big air in motorway history.

[vid]

I'm just saying, a bit road defacing a hill like that would not be very popular here at all. :P

[Pobbie]

That looks a smaller version of the Millau bridge in France. Very impressive.

[Alex Von Königsberg]

Was that really crucial to change from to ?

[Verso]

EU standards...

[Fern]

Your motorways provide some really fantastic views and seem to be at the same time very high standard!
That last picture reminds me of our A24. I'll need to take some pictures next time I go there.

[Verso]

Let's go to Styria (Štajerska)! This is the most important highway in Slovenia, connecting the three largest Slovenian cities/towns (Ljubljana, Maribor and Celje). It runs from Ljubljana to Austria, its length being 134 km (83 mi), of which there's currently 121 km (75 mi) of motorway/freeway, 7 km (4 mi) of 4-lane expressway and 6 km (4 mi) of urban 4-lane road. The missing section (Maribor motorway bypass) is going to be finished in 2009. The motorway's mostly been constructed in the last decade. I took the photos yesterday.

Fasten your seat belts... we're flying to Styria! This is where I started, in the northeastern corner of the Ljubljana Ring, at the interchange Zadobrova, between the A1 (eastern Ljubljana bypass) and H3 (northern Ljubljana bypass), continuing straight forward on the A1 motorway/freeway, the Styrian Highway (also E57 and Corridor V).


The H3 expressway joining us.


We're crossing the Sava and approaching the last exit for Ljubljana.


...


By many minor exits trucks weighing more than 7.5 tons aren't allowed to exit, if they are in transit.


The first toll ("ABC" stands for "avtomatsko brezgotovinsko cestninjenje" = electronic toll collection (ETC)).


By the toll booth Kompolje (1.55 € for cars). On my way back I didn't have to pay, because a police car on emergency drive rushed right behind me, so they had to open the ramp before I could even open my wallet.


Soon after the toll booth, begins about 15 km (10 mi) long section around the Trojane Pass, with a speed, limited to 100 km/h (62 mph). It's the most beautiful part of the highway, too bad it's just beginning of spring, so the greenery is not green yet.


Approaching the first tunnel...


There are radars in all the tunnels.


...


Entering Slovenia's longest double-tube tunnel - Trojane. Above you can see a sign, saying exit in 4 km to something. It's about famous doughnuts, baked at the top of the Trojane Pass (609 m). And they are really good!





Somewhat different portals of the next tunnel(s).


Tunnels just won't stop...


...but it's the last tunnel on the Trojane section.


Slovenian, English, Italian, German ("autobahngebühr" is being replaced by a more common word "maut", and as all German consonants begin with capital letter, I think they skipped the rule not to stand out; now all expressions begin with capital letters).


Toll booth Vransko (1.3 €).


...


Let's have some beer!


Exit for an important road, leading to Carinthia (Koroška). By all the curiosities, looks like only Dravograd is boring.


Rest area Lopata (Shovel ). I forgot to take a photo of rest area Lukovica, not far from Ljubljana, run by a Swiss company Marché Restaurant, and as I'm from Ljubljana, I don't stop at such near rest areas, but I had to go pee and I was surprised at how fancy it looked; not especially big, but fancy.


...


Now look at this sign and remember the distances (at least for Graz).


On the Celje bypass. This is Slovenia's 3rd largest town (40,000 inhabitants ).


Celje-center.


Do you remember the distances? So now we've got 7 km MORE to Graz than before!


How did I just manage to shoot such a clear photo...


...


Some tourism going on...


Rest area Zima (Winter ).


An isolated couple of old double-tube tunnels.


One of my favorite views - two tunnels and a pretty long viaduct between them.


...


Tepanje - oh yes, this is a third pay toll (2.55 €) between the two Slovenian largest cities (Ljubljana and Maribor), on just 111 km (69 mi).


By now you've probably figured out what "počivališče" means.


Exit for Ptuj. And if you try to go through Pragersko, they will shoot you. Joke, it's sports (within the brown square there's also the English word "PULL" written).


I hate rest areas without water...


We're by interchange Slivnica, close to Maribor. The A1 motorway/freeway continues straight forward, but until the entire Maribor motorway bypass is completed, it's more of a local motorway (photos of it will come later), so we're turning right, for Maribor and Austria.


A strange motorway interchange, where we could already say we're on another motorway, but as it's still a little too short (just for another mile or so), it's still A1. Anyway, we've come to its end (it will continue later again). Man, I always forget to clean my car's armature, this dust is so ugly.


We're continuing on the R430 ("R" stands for "regionalna cesta" = regional road; the "R" doesn't appear on signs, only "430"; I don't know how such an important road can be regional ).


That motorway is just the local part of the A1.


You can't get lost here, just go straight forward. Hofer in the back...


Perfect place for shopping centers...


We're entering Slovenia's 2nd largest city - Maribor (100,000 inhabitants).


Exit for the center of Maribor, we're continuing straight forward.


Yuck, what an ugly windowpane.


We've reached 4-lane expressway through Maribor (H2, E57, E59, Corridors V and Xa). Road from Ptuj and Zagreb is joining us.


Roadworks. Note: I'm on the left side of the expressway.


Maribor "skyline". We're crossing the more than 700-km-long Drava River ("Drau" in German) and driving on a 2-floor bridge (me being at the top of it).


An old sign...


I like signs with many colors. Vineyards in the back.


Approaching the Pesnica Roundabout. The V. Pan-European Transport Corridor continues towards Murska Sobota and Hungary (the only Hungarian place, depicted on traffic signs in Slovenia, is a small border town Lenti ). Anyway, we're choosing motorway for Graz.


On motorway/freeway again (A1, E57, E59, Corridor Xa).


Only 10 km (6 mi) to the border. As there's only sign for Graz here (and the unnecessary "international border crossing Šentilj"), sign for Vienna (about 240 km (150 mi) from here) would be nice.


And a fourth pay toll (0.75 €). Altogether Ljubljana - Austria = 6.15 € for 134 km (83 mi) of toll roads (0.046 € per kilometer (0.074 € per mile)).


The last exit before the border between Slovenia and Austria. It's just 1 km to the border crossing Šentilj/Spielfeld-Autobahn, from where the Austrian A9 motorway/freeway continues. I'm taking the exit, trucks are obliged to do the same.


This is how the border crossing looks like.

http://www.kompas-mts.si/fotografija...ka=sentilj.jpg

Going back...


In Maribor again. In order to reach the local short part of the A1 motorway, I have to take the main road Maribor - Zagreb (the Podravje Highway), designated as G1 (also E59 and Corridor Xa). Two sexy boys on scooter.


I think it's time for new pavement.


We're leaving the G1, E59 and Corridor Xa, and are continuing on the A1 motorway for Ljubljana.


We're on part of the future Maribor motorway bypass (but I don't think it's already considered E57).


"Letališče" = airport (usually written "aerodrom"). The Maribor Airport has few traffic though. A couple of kilometers later we join the main motorway/freeway Graz - Maribor - Ljubljana.

[LtBk]

Slovenia looks cool.

[x-type]

Lenti

ok, questions:
1. how far from Ljubljana is first tunnel (in direction MB) and how far is cp Kompolje?
2. are there any plans about starting with closed system of paying toll?

[Verso]

1. The first tunnel - about 20 km from the interchange Zadobrova in Ljubljana (A1-H3), pay toll Kompolje - around 15 km from the same interchange; the numbers can vary a bit, I'm not so sure.

2. No, they are keeping it the way it is (I know, 3 pay tolls between Ljubljana and Maribor, and another one until you reach the Austrian border), because soon we're getting electronic toll collection or sth like that, so there's no point in changing the system now.


Btw, you can soon expect nicer photos (of my car), in three days I'm changing from Peugeot 405 to Peugeot 406, yay.


P.S.: @oogabooga, I just saw you viewing this thread; what the hell is the Slovenian flag doing in your avatar???

[x-type]

Originally Posted by Verso

because already in 2008 we're getting electronic toll collection or sth like that, so it's no point in changing the system now.

so you're leaving this way of paying toll with toll-booths??

[Verso]

Of course, isn't that what the entire EU is doing in 2008? Btw, toll-booths will still be there by 2011, but the toll will be collected electronically from all vehicles; after 2011 it's gonna be collected via satellites, if it doesn't get delayed.

[Jonesy55]

Great photo! With projects like this the Slovene people can finally bury the bitter folk memories of the 1969 Yugoslav Motorway Funding Crisis.

I like driving in Slovenia, the infrastructure is good and the traffic is usually light.

[x-type]

Originally Posted by Verso

Of course, isn't that what the entire EU is doing in 2008? Btw, toll-booths will still be there by 2011, but the toll will be collected electronically from all vehicles; after 2011 it's gonna be collected via satellites, if it doesn't get delayed.

i hear for that for first time! i like tool boots!!!

[Verso]

Crazy!

[Bahnsteig4]

I like driving in Slovenia, the infrastructure is good and the traffic is usually light.

Hah!
Slovenians are THE most insane drivers in the world.

[Verso]

Beware of me, I drive and take photos at the same time!

[BL]

Originally Posted by Jonesy55

[IMG] With projects like this the Slovene people can finally bury the bitter folk memories of the 1969 Yugoslav Motorway Funding Crisis.

what kind of crisis was that?

[BL]

This toll system is so complicated, sweaty and i hope so it will be abandon. I saw that for the 1st time in my life in Macedonia and i thought it was their "product", too bad it is not.
anyway great photos, great work. Highways are beautiful. Today i will maybe be driving them or at least this Graz-MB part.

[Jonesy55]

Originally Posted by davidkunz/VIE

Hah!
Slovenians are THE most insane drivers in the world.

I don't find them too bad, the Italians and Croatians are crazier imo.