Velebit-Zadar maritime routes shortened as channel expansion nears completion

Privlaka (Photo: Andrzej Mlynarz/CC BY 3.0)

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure, Oleg Butković, visited Zadar County this week, to inspect progress on key infrastructure projects, including the expansion and deepening of the Privlački Gaz navigational channel in the municipality of Privlaka.

The project aims to better connect the Zadar and Velebit Channels. Once completed, it will shorten maritime routes from areas such as Pag, Starigrad, Vrsi, and the Novigrad and Karin seas to the Zadar archipelago by 11 nautical miles, the Ministry said in a statement.

“This is a very important maritime and safety project that shortens the route between the Velebit and Zadar Channels. It’s now entering its final phase,” Minister Butković stated during his site visit.

He added that technical inspections are set to begin by the end of May, with the aim of opening the channel for the 2025 tourist season.

Previously, some parts of the channel had depths of less than half a metre. With ongoing dredging, depths are now averaging around three metres, making it navigable for a broader range of vessels.

The total value of the project is just under €3 million, jointly financed by Plovput d.o.o., the Ministry, and several local authorities including Zadar County and the municipalities of Privlaka, Vir, and Vrsi, as well as the City of Nin.

“I’d like to thank everyone involved. We’ve achieved something great, and it’s positive that it will be ready in time for this summer,” Butković concluded.