A design office has been selected for roughly 600 metres between the ferry port and the roundabout. The additional lane is meant to hold seasonal queues, but construction is not starting yet.
The design office was selected, not the construction company
Hrvatske ceste selected Geoproming of Metković to complete the design for an additional lane on the DC113 in Supetar. The decision is dated 28 July 2026 and was published on 1 September in Croatia’s official EOJN procurement portal.
This is a concrete step, but it is narrower than a construction award. During a live check on 7 September, no contract had yet been published in the contract register. The selection decision is therefore confirmed; a contract start, approved design and construction work do not follow automatically.
The queue can grow as far as the roundabout
The roughly 600-metre section connects the DC113 roundabout with Supetar ferry port. During the season, vehicles gather there for the service to Split. Once the existing holding area is full, the tailback can reach the roundabout and block traffic that is not heading for the ferry at all.
The technical brief gives an average of 4,768 vehicles on a summer day at the Supetar count point. It lists 2,517 vehicles per summer day for the Split–Supetar ferry route. These are planning figures from the documents, not a live forecast for any particular travel date.
An additional lane and a wider footway
The plan calls for another 3.5-metre-wide holding lane along almost the entire section. It is intended to accommodate more waiting vehicles and keep the queue out of the roundabout. A two-metre-wide footway is also planned.
That is the design objective, not a guaranteed outcome. Surveying, alternatives, land issues, technical evidence and permits must first show how the expansion can actually be delivered. Its eventual effect will also depend on ferry peaks and traffic management.
€29,100 pays for plans, not a new carriageway
Geoproming’s selected bid is €29,100 excluding VAT, or €36,375 including VAT. The amount is meant to produce the complete project documentation. The original estimated contract value was €37,000 excluding VAT.
The design scope covers more than road lines on paper. It includes drainage, retaining elements, utilities, traffic signs and equipment, lighting, noise protection, temporary traffic management, environmental documents and a digital building model.
Two hundred working days is not the construction period
The procedure allows 200 working days for the design service. This does not mean 200 calendar days from the selection decision, nor does it describe the duration of later construction. The period can begin only under the terms of an effective contract.
The assignment is intended to include concept, main and detailed designs as well as documents for location and building permits. Even after that work is complete, an issued permit, funding and a separate procurement procedure for the construction work will still be needed.
Why the footway matters just as much
Cars are not the only traffic moving between the ferry port, waterfront, town and roundabout. Pedestrians with luggage, families and travellers without vehicles share the confined port area with waiting queues and through traffic.
A continuously planned footway is therefore not a decorative extra. Its exact alignment, crossings and clearances must still emerge from the approved documents. The technical brief alone does not yet define a finished safe route.
What travellers gain now — and what they do not
For the current season, the selection decision changes neither the ferry timetable nor the order of vehicles in the port. Anyone crossing to Split by car still needs extra time and must follow the rules of their specific ticket.
The next dependable milestone is a published contract, followed by a completed permit design. Only a later construction tender can clarify cost, construction time and traffic management. Until then, the extra lane is a credible solution in planning, not a promise of quickly traffic-free access.
Evidence
Sources & date
Sources support the facts. Planning notes and recommendations are Golden Beach editorial assessments.
- Project documents for the additional lane on the DC113 in SupetarElektronički oglasnik javne nabave RH · decision 28 July 2026, published 1 September 2026, checked 7 September 2026project section, estimated value, selected office, decision status and planned design duration
- Hrvatske ceste na zlatnom otoku rade treći trak do trajektaBauštela · 4 September 2026secondary analysis of the project brief, planned lane and footway widths, traffic figures and scope of service
