Anyone planning a late-autumn or early-winter trip to the Makarska Riviera should factor in a detour: the Sveti Ilija Tunnel, the main link between the A1 motorway and the coast, is closed for two months of repair work.
The closure started at midnight on Monday, 19 October, and is set to last until 15:00 on 21 December 2026, according to Croatian Roads. The work targets the tunnel's drainage shafts, and the passage beneath the Biokovo mountain range will stay shut to all traffic while crews are on site.
The tunnel matters because it's the fast way down to the sea. It runs between Zagvozd, just off the A1 motorway inland, and Baška Voda on the Makarska Riviera, cutting through the mountain instead of around it. With it closed, drivers heading from the motorway to the coast are being routed via Šestanovac and Dubci — a longer, winding drive on roads that are slow at the best of times.
The practical advice for travellers is straightforward. Build extra time into any journey between the A1 and Makarska, and check live traffic updates before you set off. If you're new to the region, follow the official diversion signs rather than trusting your sat nav — mapping apps often default to the shortest route, which could send you into the closed tunnel or onto unsuitable mountain roads. If you're renting a car at Split airport for a winter break in Baška Voda or Makarska, mention the closure to your rental desk and plan an earlier departure for any onward travel.
The good news is the timing: the tunnel should reopen before the Christmas holidays, and the closure falls well outside the summer season when this route clogs with coastal traffic. Spring and summer visitors planning next year's trip to the Makarska Riviera — with its pebble beaches and views back up to Biokovo Nature Park — shouldn't be affected once the works wrap.
For now, though, if you're driving to the coast from inland Croatia this autumn, expect a slower approach and give yourself some slack.
