A huge road infrastructure project near Solin in Dalmatia, Croatia, is steadily moving towards completion. The Mravince Interchange, located in the village of the same name, is part of the first phase of a major development aimed at easing traffic in the region, which is a town and suburb of Split, Croatia’s second-largest city.

The project forms part of the plan to build a fast road connecting Mravince to Tranzitno-Terminalni Sustav. It is considered an important part of the broader Trogir–Omiš fast road project. Once finished, it will significantly improve traffic levels before entering the busy urban centres of Split and Solin. 

Home to around 160,500 people, Split is the largest city in Croatia behind its capital, Zagreb. On top of this, the city also welcomes more than 900,000 tourists each year. 

The interchange, according to Croatia Week, is designed as a denivelated (different levels) roundabout, with an 84-metre diameter and integrates with the eastern bypass of the Split-Solin area. 

All major structures have now been completed, including the supporting wall and overpasses Mravince 1, 3 and 4, as well as Dračevac 1 and 2. The road surface has also been renewed. 

The remaining work - including slope protection, electrical work and final equipment installation - is expected to be completed in early September.

Hrvatske Ceste, the national road authority, has released a video showing the progress of all three phases of the Mravince interchange project. 

The value of the works on phases one, two and three are €7.2 million (£6.2 million) (excluding VAT), while construction on phases four and five - covering just over 1.5 miles - is also underway, with a contract value of €32.7 million (£28 million).

The completion of the interchange is expected to revolutionise travel for drivers on the region, easing congestion and improving access to the eastern part of Split and its surrounding areas. 

Last year, Croatia recorded over 21.3 million arrivals and more than 108.7 million overnight stays, the Ministry of Tourism said in a statement. This represents a 4% increase in arrivals compared to 2023. 

Regarding the number of overnight stays by county, Istria led with 30 million stays, followed by Split-Dalmatia County with 20.7 million stays. The Dubrovnik-Neretva County, meanwhile, recorded 9.1 million stays. 

By destination, the top performers were Dubrovnik, Rovinj, Split, Poreč, and Umag.