Summer traffic jams flood Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Austria
The peak of the tourist season has created severe congestion on major highways and border crossings across the western Balkans and neighboring Austria. In Croatia, the A1 motorway between Zagreb and the Adriatic coast saw long queues, lane closures after a fire and a vehicle accident, and temporary suspension of tunnels toward Zagreb. Additional ferry lines were added at Split to accommodate the surge, and the airport in Split processed more than 66 000 passengers over the weekend.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, border crossings such as Brčko, Orašje, Gradina, Bijača and Doljani reported vehicle queues lasting several hours, with many drivers delayed by the new EU Entry/Exit System (EES) registration requirements. Similar backlog was noted at exits toward Croatia and at interior crossings.
Austria experienced comparable pressure on the A11 Karawanken Autobahn, where a traffic jam up to seven kilometres long formed before the Slovenian border, and on the A2 and A3 corridors in Tirol and Styria. Montenegro’s road works on the Đurđevića Tara bridge imposed total bans for heavy trucks and alternating traffic for passenger vehicles, adding further bottlenecks.
Authorities in each country have advised motorists to plan longer travel times, use alternative routes where possible, and respect temporary traffic‑regulation measures.
Entities: A1 highway (Croatia) · Bosnia and Herzegovina border crossings · Entry/Exit System (EU) · Karawanken Autobahn (Austria) · Montenegro traffic authority (AMSCG)
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 5 SOURCES] Long vehicle queues, some lasting several hours, were reported at numerous Bosnia and Herzegovina border crossings including Brčko, Orašje, Gradina, Bijača and Doljani. (multiple)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] A traffic jam of up to seven kilometres formed on Austria's A11 Karawanken Autobahn near the Slovenian border. (multiple)
- [● 3 SOURCES] A fire and a vehicle accident on Croatia's A1 motorway near Split caused lane closures and long traffic queues. (multiple)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] A queue of about five kilometres formed on Croatia’s A2 highway near the Trakošćan toll station. (multiple)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Road works on Montenegro’s Đurđevića Tara bridge imposed total bans for heavy trucks and alternating traffic for passenger vehicles. (multiple)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Croatia added extra ferry lines at the Split port to handle the summer tourist surge. (multiple)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Implementation of the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) caused additional delays at Bosnian-Herzegovinian border crossings. (multiple)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] More than 66 000 passengers passed through Split airport over the weekend, prompting additional ferry services. (multiple)