Pocitelj-Zvirovici Highway 2026 — What It Means for Travel South of Mostar

**An 11-km section of the A1 motorway (Corridor Vc) that opened on 5 September 2024.** It runs from Pocitelj south to Zvirovici, bypassing the old M17 road through the Pocitelj village and connecting to the previously-built Medjugorje–Bijača section to form a continuous motorway link from south of Mostar to the Croatian border. The marquee structure is the **Hercegovina Bridge** (also called the Pocitelj Bridge): 980 m long, 100 m above the Neretva valley, the highest bridge on Corridor Vc. Speed limit is 130 km/h. Funded by EU grants and EIB loans.

**Yes — you must take the marked Pocitelj exit to visit the village.** The motorway bypasses Pocitelj entirely. The Pocitelj interchange has a toll plaza and a clearly signed exit ramp — exit there, follow brown tourist signs to the village (5 minutes), park in the free lot, walk into the village. **If you stay on the motorway** you'll continue south past Pocitelj without seeing it. See our **[Pocitelj guide](/pocitelj/)** for what's worth stopping for.

**Yes — small toll at the Pocitelj interchange**, calculated by distance and vehicle class. **Cars: roughly €1–3** for the full Pocitelj↔Zvirovici section, depending on entry/exit points. Take a magnetic card on entry, hand it to the cashier on exit. **Payment options**: cash (KM or EUR — change given in KM at official rate), credit/debit card, or BiH electronic-toll device. The old M17 road through Pocitelj village remains free and is still used by people doing the village stop, but it's slower and narrower.

**Roughly 15–20 minutes saved on the Mostar↔Croatian-border drive** vs the old M17 winding road. The pre-2024 drive averaged 50 km/h on M17; the motorway runs 120–130 km/h. **Mostar to Bijača border**: down from ~85 minutes to ~65 minutes. **Mostar to Capljina**: 30–35 minutes (down from 45–50). **Mostar to Kravica gate**: ~35–40 minutes (a small saving — the Kravica access road off M17 still adds 10 minutes regardless). For travellers crossing into Croatia toward Dubrovnik or Split, the motorway is a real time saving; for short Mostar↔Pocitelj trips the saving is marginal.

**Take the Zvirovici exit (south end of the new section)** then follow brown tourist signs west to Kravica Nature Park — about 8 km from the exit. Some older GPS units route via the Pocitelj exit + old roads which adds 10–15 minutes; trust the brown signs over the GPS. **For Pocitelj village**: take the Pocitelj exit (north end). **For both in one day**: enter at Pocitelj, do the village, re-enter the motorway, exit at Zvirovici, drive to Kravica. See our **[Mostar to Kravica transport guide](/how-to-get-to-kravice-waterfalls-from-mostar/)** for the full route.

**Slightly — fewer drive-by visitors who used to stop without planning** (the old M17 went directly through the village so people stopped on impulse). But **planned visitors and guided tours are unaffected**: anyone who specifically wants Pocitelj takes the marked exit, parks free, and walks in. The village's annual visitor count actually increased in 2025 vs 2023 (the highway-fear didn't materialise), partly because the easier overall drive made Mostar↔Croatia trips with a Pocitelj stop more practical. Our **[Kravica day tour from Mostar](/kravica-waterfall-tour-from-mostar/)** continues to include Pocitelj as a standard stop.

**Yes — it's a modern motorway bridge built to current EU engineering standards.** The 980-m span sits 100 m above the Neretva valley with full crash barriers, side walls, and ice/wind warning systems. Drive normally; the height isn't visible from the driver's position because the side walls are at adult-height. Vertigo-prone passengers may notice the swaying sensation in strong wind (sw. drift). **No pedestrian crossing** on the bridge — only motor vehicles. The view from the bridge is genuinely spectacular if you're a passenger; not a stop-and-photograph location.

**Yes — M17 remains a free public road** and is still the route for people specifically wanting Pocitelj village without the toll. The old road runs through the village, past the riverside, and is more scenic but adds 15–20 minutes for the full Mostar→Capljina section. **Reasons to stick with M17**: you want the scenic drive, you're stopping at multiple small Herzegovina villages, you want to avoid even the small motorway toll. **Reasons to use the motorway**: you're going through to Croatia, you're going specifically to Kravica, you're time-pressed, you have a passenger with motion sickness on the winding M17.

**Currently no fuel stations on the 11-km Pocitelj-Zvirovici section itself.** The closest motorway service stations are on the Medjugorje–Bijača section south of Zvirovici, and on the Mostar South side north of Pocitelj. **Plan a full tank** before entering the motorway from Mostar; fuel up at any Mostar petrol station (€1.30–1.45/L for petrol in 2026). Going south you'll have refuelling options at the border-area service stations. The old M17 has frequent small fuel stations in the villages along the way.

**Yes — the Mostar South to Tunel Kvanj section is in active construction** (the segment that will connect Mostar's south edge directly to the existing motorway). Estimated completion 2027 per current public announcements (slippages have happened — don't bet on the schedule). Once finished, you'll be able to drive from central Mostar to the Croatian border without leaving motorway. **The Tunel Kvanj to Buna section** is the connector currently being designed. Watch the BiH official transport ministry channels for updates; we'll update this page when sections open.

**Our pickups are unaffected by the highway opening** — we pick up from Mostar hotels at 09:00 as standard, regardless of motorway. But the smoother drive means we now arrive at Kravica around 12:00–12:30 (vs 13:00 before the motorway), giving us more time at the falls. The **15–20 minute drive saving** is one reason we now include the **Bunski Kanali stop** in our **[Kravica day tour](/kravica-waterfall-tour-from-mostar/)** — there's room in the schedule for a 30-minute extra stop that wasn't there before.

(1) **Trusting older GPS over signage** — pre-2024 GPS routes still send you through Pocitelj village even when the motorway is faster; trust brown tourist signs. (2) **Missing the Pocitelj exit** if you actually want the village — easy to do at 130 km/h; signage is small, exit comes up fast. (3) **Trying to U-turn** if you miss the exit — there's a long gap to the next exit; just continue and use the next one. (4) **Stopping on the bridge for photos** — illegal and dangerous; pull over at signed rest areas only. (5) **Underestimating the wind on the bridge in winter** — gusty exposure; slow to 80 km/h if conditions feel marginal. (6) **Not having toll cash/card ready** — small queues at the toll plaza if you fumble. (7) **Forgetting passport** if continuing to Croatia — the motorway leads directly to the Bijača border crossing; you need passport and green-card vehicle insurance.