Tunnels in Montenegro

The most impressive tunnels are on the so-called Eagle Road that goes from Pluzine to Trsa and Zabljak. It is a steep mountain road with hairpin bends and 11 tunnels, hand-carved into the mountainside. After ten minutes on this road there is a 300+ m drop in height. At the very top is a spectacular view of the town of Pluzine, Lake Piva, the canyon and the Eagle Road itself.

The longest tunnel in Montenegro is the Sozina. It is 4,189 meters long. It is a perfectly engineered tunnel with forced ventilation (large turbines on the ceiling at every 500 meters), illumination, emergency communications etc. New roads were connected to it.

The speed limit in the tunnel is 60 to 80 km/h depending on the weather nearby. At the exit to Podgorica, there is a section of road with the highest speed limit in Montenegro. It is 100 km/h. The tunnel was built as a shortcut from Podgorica to the southern coast (Bar, Ulcinj etc.) It saves about 22 km of travel, which is quite a lot of time, considering the speed limit.

The old road from Podgorica to the coast that leads to Petrovac is also well maintained. The road distance from Budva to Podgorica is almost the same whichever you choose, the tunnel or the mountain road. However, the tunnel road is straighter and easier; the winding mountain road is more challenging but it has spectacular views of the coast and Lake Skadar. The Sozina tunnel is the only toll road in Montenegro, not counting the ferries at the Bay of Kotor. The toll booths are at the Podgorica exit.

Do note that in the middle of the Sozina tunnel the police sometimes park in laybys and fine drivers who are speeding or overtaking others in the tunnel. Be careful!

Single pass for a car is €2.5, €1.5 for a scooter. There are no multiple tickets. The tunnel operates day and night. The cashiers always have change even for 100 and 200 euro bills. If you need small change and cannot change a note, now is your chance.

There are complex tunnels between Podgorica and Kolašin. In total, there are more than 20. Most of them were cut through, not drilled by special drilling machines. This is why their shape, especially the ceiling, may be imperfect. This road is an active international road where trucks and intercity buses travel. They have to drive in the middle of the road in such ‘imperfect’ tunnels to avoid scratching the ceiling. The road has only a single lane on each side, so oncoming vehicles have to keep right and stop. To avoid this situation (an oncoming truck with upper beams on and horns blaring is rather alarming), observe the traffic signs on your journey. You will see the sign for the tunnel and the lane control sign ahead of the tunnel. After that, drop your speed, take a slight right and look straight ahead. At 40-50 km/h, you will always have time and space for a maneuver.

Tunnel ahead sign

Lane control sign

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    […] Jó hír, hogy egyelőre csak a Podgorica és a tengerpart között vezető úton található Sozina alagúton való áthajtásért kell fizetni, ennek összege 2019-ben 2,5 […]

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    Nice people, nice country!

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    […] Tunnels […]