Passionate Waiting: Kilometer-Long Lines at the Exit from BiH
Holiday season and roadworks cause multi-hour waits, especially critical at the entrance to Croatia.
Holiday season and roadworks cause multi-hour waits, especially critical at the entrance to Croatia.
Travelers currently heading from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Croatia should expect heavy traffic and possible delays at several major border crossings. According to reports from the BIHAMK Information Center, the longest lines are at the exit from BiH at the Izačić, Velika Kladuša, Hum, and Zupci crossings.
At the Gradiška-Gornji Varoš border crossing, the situation is somewhat different. While there are no major queues on the exit side from BiH, drivers are spending significantly more time at the entrance to Croatia. At other crossings, travelers are currently waiting up to 30 minutes.
In addition to border congestion, numerous roadworks across BiH are making travel more difficult. Due to road rehabilitation, the six-kilometer section of the A-1 motorway between Lašva and Kakanj is completely closed, with traffic redirected to the opposite carriageway. On the Golubinja-Nemila subsection, traffic is also halted due to the construction of the Nemila-Vranduk subsection, with vehicles diverted to the M-17 main road.
Several main roads have introduced restrictions for heavy vehicles. On the Dobro Polje-Miljevina, Tuzla-Bijeljina, and Jablanica-Blidinje routes, traffic is only allowed for vehicles up to 3.5 tons, while all heavier vehicles are completely banned. Alternating single-lane traffic is in place on the Crna Rijeka-Jajce road in Podmilačje and the Konjic-Jablanica road near Ribićki Bridge. Due to the installation of lighting in the Vratnik tunnel, traffic on the Sarajevo-Lapišnica main road is slowed on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Due to the introduction of the new Entry/Exit System (EES) for registering travelers entering and leaving EU countries, additional waits at borders are possible. As for special regimes, the Brčko border crossing is open exclusively for passenger vehicles up to 3.5 tons. As of December 2, 2025, the Karakaj crossing has been reopened for all vehicle categories, while the Šepak crossing has banned all heavy goods vehicle traffic.
BIHAMK urges all those planning longer trips to inform themselves in advance about current road conditions and border congestion. Due to high daytime temperatures, it is recommended to avoid long drives during the day, and if traveling, more frequent breaks are advised.
