The Primorje – Gorski Kotar County is situated between Dalmatia, Central Croatia and Slavonia. The Bay of Kvarner (Port of Rijeka) is well connected with the Pannonian valley with the traffic routes passing through the Kupa River valley. The Primorje – Gorski Kotar County is especially important when considering inland traffic connections between the Pannonian and the Adriatic territories, as well as for the traffic connection of the Mediterranean with the Central European territories. The nodes of the main road and railway traffic routes (Branch of the corridor Vb and the Adriatic – Ionian motorway), road, railway, sea and air traffic terminals are all concentrated in the Rijeka agglomeration. This fact, along with the relief characteristics of the coastal area and its abundant biodiversity characterize the complexity of the problem with regard to the solution of the overall traffic node.
The complexity and management of individual traffic infrastructure segments at different administrative levels along with the spatial development of the area require a certain level of coordination and solution to the conflicts within the overall traffic network of the area.
The already existing, planed elements of individual traffic networks are linked into an agglomerate of defined and composite traffic networks (road, railway, sea, air traffic etc.), and along with all adjoining elements (zones used for traffic etc.) form and integral traffic node – the Rijeka node, which includes public and individual traffic, i.e. passenger and cargo traffic. An integral network of passenger and cargo traffic in the Rijeka node had to be outlined , as an element of development according to the spatial planning principles as well as general goals of overall development of the Primorje – Gorski Kotar County.
The aim of the Study was a long-term and integrated definition of development of the Rijeka traffic node.

traffic, traffic network, railway, railway traffic, motorway, spatial development plans, environmental protection, feasibility, bridge