Croatia and Slovenia are planning more than €20 billion in major infrastructure investments over the next five years, it was announced at a Slovenian-Croatian business conference held in Portorož, HRT has reported.
While the construction sector in both countries is currently experiencing strong growth, shared challenges remain, including a shortage of skilled labour and persistent bureaucratic hurdles.
At the centre of discussions were two long-delayed road projects seen as crucial to strengthening economic and transport links between the neighbouring states.
Despite growing trade and tourism flows, key road connections between Croatia and Slovenia remain inadequate.
Transport operators say the situation is particularly difficult on the route between Buzet and the Port of Koper.
Narrow and outdated roads frequently cause congestion, especially during the summer season.
“During the summer months it is catastrophic. On Fridays we avoid returning in the afternoon because it can take hours. You always get stuck in a queue from Koper, whether you go via Plovanija or Dragonja,” said Branko Bašić, a haulier from Buzet.
Similar problems exist on the Rijeka side, on the road connecting Postojna, Ilirska Bistrica and Jelšane. Both routes are considered vital economic corridors, particularly for tourism and freight traffic between the two countries.
Some civic groups argue that development of these routes has been politically sensitive for years.
Robert Marušić, representing a citizens’ initiative for quality of life in northern Istria, pointed out that Slovenia has prioritised motorway connections linking Koper with Ljubljana, the Karavanke tunnel and Maribor.
“They connected Koper to Ljubljana and extended the motorway network towards the Karavanke and Maribor. But from Postojna to Ilirska Bistrica, where their economy also suffers, no motorway has been built. From there it is just 10 kilometres to Jelšane and Rijeka. That will be a more difficult topic,” he said.
Some within the initiative believe that parts of Slovenia’s political elite have been reluctant to strengthen routes that could boost the Port of Rijeka and potentially weaken the competitive position of the Port of Koper, HRT writes.
Political representatives at the Portorož conference did not go into detailed timelines but signalled that progress may finally be underway after years of stagnation.
Slovenia’s Minister of Infrastructure, Alenka Bratušek, confirmed that both roads are being included in the national spatial plan.
“There are still some challenges at certain points, but I believe these will soon be resolved. After that, project preparation will follow, and then construction. I cannot say when, but we are still some distance from the building phase,” she stated.
Croatia is closely monitoring developments.
“They had difficulties agreeing on route alignments due to disagreements among local authorities. Now they have made certain progress, as the minister informed me, so I believe the process will accelerate,” said Croatian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure, Oleg Butković.
The timing of the announcement has also drawn attention. Slovenia is entering a super-election year, with parliamentary elections scheduled in just over a month and local elections later in the year.
This has led some observers to question whether the renewed momentum surrounding the long-awaited road projects represents genuine progress, or pre-election positioning.
Regardless, the scale of the planned €20 billion investment programme signals a significant phase for both countries. If realised, the projects could substantially improve regional connectivity, ease freight congestion, strengthen tourism flows and reshape the competitive balance between the northern Adriatic ports.
For businesses and residents on both sides of the border, the key question now is whether long-discussed plans will finally translate into asphalt on the ground.