Pag Bridge: the concrete arch that links an island to the mainland
The Pag Bridge (Paški most) carries the D106 road over the strait of Ljubačka Vrata, joining the island of Pag to the Croatian mainland in Zadar County. A slender reinforced-concrete arch opened in November 1968, it turned Pag into something closer to a peninsula and is still the island's main road link.
During the bridge's construction the wind blew at force 8 on the Beaufort scale for four months. In a spring storm in 2019 a gust of 198 km/h was recorded on the span.
The history of the Pag Bridge
The bridge was built in 1967 and 1968 by the Croatian company Mostogradnja and designed by the civil engineer Ilija Stojadinović, who had also designed the nearby Šibenik Bridge a few years earlier. It was opened to traffic on 17 November 1968. Together with the two Krk bridges, finished some twelve years later, these structures make up the first generation of Croatia's large concrete arch bridges. At the time, concrete was widely believed to need almost no maintenance, unlike steel bridges that must be repainted regularly.
The structure is an arch with a span of 193.2 metres and a rise of 27.6 metres, a ratio of 1:7, which classes it as a shallow arch. The arch is a hollow box section, built in prefabricated segments about 30 metres long. A floating crane lifted each segment into place and held it with stays until the arch was complete and could carry itself. The roadway runs about 35 metres above the strait and was supported by slender pairs of concrete columns.
The site is exposed to the bora, the cold wind that descends from the Velebit range. Wind and sea spray, together with the thin concrete cover used at the time, caused corrosion that had to be repaired from 1978, and again after storm and corrosion damage in 1984 and 1988. During the war of the 1990s the bridge was for a time the only link between central and southern Adriatic Croatia, Herzegovina and Bosnia on one side and the northern coast and the continental part of the country on the other. It carried refugees, supplies and troops, was attacked from the air several times and was heavily damaged in 1991.
After the war it was fully restored. A major repair in 1999 replaced the deck with a steel structure and widened the roadway from 9 to 10.5 metres, and the bridge was formally reopened on 29 December 1999. Further work followed in 2020, when the steelwork was treated against corrosion, sandblasted and repainted.
Curiosities about the Pag Bridge
- The bora blew at force 8 on the Beaufort scale for a period of four months while the bridge was being built.
- In a spring storm in May 2019 the top wind speed recorded on the bridge was 198 km/h.
- Each arch segment was prefabricated and lifted into position by a floating crane, then held by stays until the arch could support itself.
- The Adriatic's salinity is higher than that of many other seas, and tests later found far more chloride in the concrete than was considered acceptable, which explains the long series of repairs.
- The bridge belongs to the first generation of large Croatian concrete arches, alongside the Šibenik Bridge and the two Krk bridges.
- The bridge has been renovated more than once; the most recent work described in the sources, in 2020, dealt with corrosion and repainting.
Tours near Pag Bridge
Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:
Visiting the Pag Bridge
- The bridge is part of the D106 road, so most visitors cross it by car on the way to or from the island of Pag.
- The landscape around it is bare and almost without vegetation, which makes the arch stand out clearly against the sea and the sky.
- The area is exposed to strong wind. Take extra care in bora conditions and check the local weather forecast before you go.
- The photographs of the bridge on Wikimedia Commons show it from the shore and from the road, a good guide to the viewpoints.
- The nearest places of interest in the guide are in Zadar, around 23 km away, and the Maslenica Bridge, about 24 km away.
Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.
Map: where Pag Bridge is
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors
Photos of Pag Bridge
Questions
Where is the Pag Bridge and what does it connect?
The Pag Bridge crosses the Ljubačka Vrata strait in Zadar County and connects the island of Pag with the Croatian mainland on the D106 road.
When was the Pag Bridge built?
It was built in 1967 and 1968 and opened to traffic on 17 November 1968.
Who designed the Pag Bridge?
It was designed by the civil engineer Ilija Stojadinović and built by the company Mostogradnja. The same engineer designed the Šibenik Bridge.
How long is the arch of the Pag Bridge?
Croatian and German sources give the arch a span of 193.2 metres and a rise of 27.6 metres, with the roadway about 35 metres above the strait.
Why is the wind such a problem on the Pag Bridge?
The bridge stands near the Velebit range, where the bora blows in strong gusts. A top wind speed of 198 km/h was recorded there in a 2019 spring storm.
What role did the Pag Bridge play in the 1990s war?
For a time it was the only link between the south of Adriatic Croatia and the north of the country. It was attacked from the air several times and was restored after the war.
Also nearby
Monument to the Sun
Zadar · solar-powered light circle next to the Sea Organ
23 km away
Sea Organ
Zadar · marble steps that play music with the sea
23 km away
Church of St Donatus
Zadar · round Pre-Romanesque church built on the Roman forum
23 km away
Maslenica Bridge
Maslenica · steel arch bridge rebuilt after 1991
24 km away