View source for Motorways in North Macedonia

[[Image:Avtopat.svg|thumb|150px|The [[Traffic sign|road sign]] informing the motorists they are travelling on an ''avtopat'']]
The '''[[motorway]]s in [[North Macedonia]]''' are called '''''avtopat''''' (автопат) and the name, like its translation in most languages, simply means ''auto road''.
[[File:Highways in North Macedonia.png|thumb|Macedonian Motorways map]]

[[File:Клучка А1-А2-А3.jpg|thumb|A1/A2/A4 Interchange at Miladinovci, North Macedonia]]
The system has inherited some from the former [[Yugoslavia]], although new sections have been completely built in the recent years.  Pay-tolls ([[Macedonian language|Macedonian]]: ''patarini'') remain in place and the speed limit is {{Convert|130|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}.<ref>Ministry of Internal Affairs Law for Public Transport p.29 (Mk)  {{cite web |url=http://www.mvr.gov.mk/Uploads/ZBSP-%20neoficijalen%20precisten%20tekst%20od%2020.11.2012.doc.pdf |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2013-02-16 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130123231916/http://www.mvr.gov.mk/Uploads/ZBSP-%20neoficijalen%20precisten%20tekst%20od%2020.11.2012.doc.pdf |archivedate=2013-01-23 }}</ref> 
The total length of the motorway network as of February 2025 is 317&nbsp;km,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.roads.org.mk/255/road-network|title = ROAD NETWORK &#124; Public enterprise for state roads}}</ref> with extra 167&nbsp;km being under construction. The works on the first couple kilometers of the motorway from Skopje to Kosovo's border started in 2020. The extension of the A2 motorway from Kicevo to Ohrid  started in 2014. The part that is supposed to connect Gostivar and [[Bukojčani|Bukojchani]], Prilep and Bitola and [[Trebeništa, Debarca|Trebenishta]] and Kjafasan started construction by consortium [[Bechtel]] & [[Enka İnşaat ve Sanayi A.Ş.|Enka]] in 2024.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Suer |first=Marina |date=2023-03-08 |title=ENKA-Bechtel JV will build Corridor 8 & 10d Motorway in North Macedonia {{!}} ENKA İnşaat ve Sanayi A.Ş. |url=https://www.enka.com/enka-bechtel-jv-will-build-corridor-8-10d-motorway-in-north-macedonia/ |access-date=2025-02-21 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Bechtel to Build Two Motorways in North Macedonia {{!}} Bechtel |url=https://www.bechtel.com/newsroom/press-releases/bechtel-selected-to-build-two-new-motorways-in-north-macedonia/ |access-date=2025-02-21 |website=www.bechtel.com |language=en-US}}</ref> Furthermore, most stretches of the existing network have been reconstructed, so overall the Macedonian motorways are in decent shape.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.independent.mk/articles/32293/Macedonia+Prime+Minister+Dimitriev+Expects+Skopje-Stip+Highway+to+Be+Fully+Built+in+ |title=Macedonia: Prime Minister Dimitriev Expects Skopje-Stip Highway to be Fully Built in 2017 - Independent.mk |access-date=2016-08-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510091454/http://www.independent.mk/articles/32293/Macedonia+Prime+Minister+Dimitriev+Expects+Skopje-Stip+Highway+to+Be+Fully+Built+in+ |archive-date=2017-05-10 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The highways were originally marked with yellow-colour hard shoulder lines and some of these remain in place, they are however slowly being phased out and replaced with white. The motorway roadsigns maintain their green colour background, a feature shared with [[Switzerland]], [[Italy]], [[Denmark]], [[Sweden]], [[Greece]], [[Czech Republic]], [[Lithuania]] and the [[United States]] as well as the other former Yugoslav republics. The roads are on the whole straight with good surfacing, and better maintained than the national roads.

== List of motorways ==
{| class="wikitable"
! Motorway
! Beginning
! Through
! End
! Length
|-
! [[File:M1-MKD.svg|52px|]]
| {{Flag|North Macedonia}} [[Tabanovce]], {{Br}} {{Flag|Serbia}} – [[File:Motorway-A1-Hex-Green.svg|25px|]]
| [[Kumanovo]], [[Skopje]], [[File:M3-MKD.svg|25px]], [[File:M4-MKD.svg|25px|]], [[Veles, North Macedonia|Veles]]
| {{Flag|North Macedonia}} [[Bogorodica, Gevgelija]], {{Br}} {{Flag|Greece}} [[Evzonoi]] – [[File:Autokinetodromos A1 number.svg|25px]]
! 173 km
|-
! [[File:M2-MKD.svg|52px|]]
| [[File:M1-MKD.svg|25px|]]
| [[Kriva Palanka]]
| {{Flag|North Macedonia}} Deve Bair, {{Br}} {{Flag|Bulgaria}} [[Gyueshevo]]
! 73.574 km
|-
! [[File:M3-MKD.svg|52px|]]
| [[File:M1-MKD.svg|25px|]]
| [[Skopje]]/[[File:M4-MKD.svg|25px|]]
| {{Flag|Kosovo}} [[Kaçanik]]
! 42.25 km
|-
! [[File:M4-MKD.svg|52px|]]
| [[File:M1-MKD.svg|25px|]]
| [[Tetovo]], [[Gostivar]],{{Br}} [[Kičevo]], [[Struga]]
| {{Flag|Albania}} [[Qafë Thanë]]
! 193.614 km
|-
! [[File:M5-MKD.svg|52px|]]
| [[File:M4-MKD.svg|25px|]]
| [[Ohrid]], [[Bitola]], [[Prilep]],{{Br}} [[Veles, North Macedonia|Veles]]/ [[File:M1-MKD.svg|25px|]], [[Štip]]
| {{Flag|Bulgaria}} Stanke Lisičkovo
! 308.268 km
|-
! [[File:M6-MKD.svg|52px|]]
| [[Štip]]/[[File:M5-MKD.svg|25px|]]
| [[Radoviš]], [[Strumica]]
| {{Flag|Bulgaria}} Zlatarevo
! 93.712 km
|-
| '''Total Motorways: 6'''
| 
| 
| 
! '''889.848 km'''
|-
|}

''Note: Some of the highways are semi-highways (those with blue signs).''

==[[A1 motorway (North Macedonia)|Motorway A1]]==
[[File:МК А1-Е75.jpg|thumb|A4 near Volkovo]]
The first motorway runs from the [[Tabanovce]] border crossing with [[Serbia]] (for [[Preševo]]), passing [[Kumanovo]] (A2 junction), [[Petrovec, Republic of North Macedonia|Petrovec]] ([[Skopje Airport]]) near [[Skopje]] (A3 junction), [[Veles (city)|Veles]], [[Gradsko, Republic of North Macedonia|Gradsko]] (A5 junction) [[Negotino]] (A7 junction), and continuing onto the main border crossing with [[Greece]], ''Bogorodica-Evzoni'' near [[Gevgelija]].

The large part of this express route was built whilst North Macedonia was a part of the [[SFR Yugoslavia]], with the Kumanovo-Petrovec section first opened for traffic in 1979. The motorway was completed in 2004 in time for the [[2004 Summer Olympics|2004 Athens Olympics]].

For approximately 30&nbsp;km between [[Skopje Airport]] and [[Veles (city)|Veles]], the motorway splits, creating a gradual distance of several kilometres. The northbound route is the postulated motorway route whilst the slightly longer southbound route, with dangerous bends, is the old road and is being used as a freeway as it is only one-way. There are no plans at present to develop the northbound route into two separate carriageways thus perfecting the network.

The motorway A1 is part of [[European route E75]].

==[[A2 motorway (North Macedonia)|Motorway A2]]==
[[File:Ii-220315.jpg|thumb|Miladinovci interchange from air]]
The A2 is a route that connects [[Kriva Palanka]] and the Deve Bair border crossing with [[Bulgaria]] with [[Ohrid]]. The route passes [[Skopje]] through the ring-road and enters the already constructed motorway that connects [[Tetovo]] with [[Gostivar]]. The part of the route that bypasses [[Kičevo]] and ends in [[Ohrid]] is planned to be turned into a motorway with 4 lanes by October 2026, with one part opening by summer 2025. Currently only the section from Miladinovci (interchange with A1) to Gostivar is a divided motorway, where the Tetovo-Gostivar section (25&nbsp;km)  is missing hard shoulders. The stretch of A2 from Skopje's Ring Road to Ohrid is part of the [[European route E65|European corridor E65]].

==[[A3 motorway (North Macedonia)|Motorway A3]]==
[[File:Skopje Ring Road.jpg|thumb|A2 at Skopje Ring Road]]
[[File:Смоквица автопат.jpg|thumb|Bridge on the D.Kapija-Smokvica stretch]]
[[File:Tunnels on A1.jpg|thumb|Tunnels on A1]]
Currently, only a small section of the route A3 is a motorway (the one that goes along A4 from Štip to Kadrifakovo), while some sections are express roads. The route traverses the country from east to west, between the border with [[Bulgaria]] near [[Delčevo]], via [[Kočani]], [[Štip]] (A4 junction), [[Veles (city)|Veles]] (A1 junction), [[Prilep]], [[Bitola]], ending in [[Ohrid]] (A2 junction). A four lane express road exists in the stretch between Štip and Kočani. In 2024, construction started on the motorway between Prilep and Bitola. <ref name=":0" />

==[[A4 motorway (North Macedonia)|Motorway A4]]==

The A4 connects [[Kosovo]] with [[Skopje]] and continues southeast towards [[Štip]], [[Radoviš]], and [[Strumica]], eventually reaching the border with [[Bulgaria]] near [[Novo Selo (Novo Selo)|Novo Selo]]. The 47&nbsp;km stretch from [[Miladinovci]] to Štip was completed in late 2018, while the works on the Skopje - [[Blace]] (Kosovo border) section began in 2020. Further south-east from Štip to [[Radovis]], there is an express road, which could potentially be upgraded to a motorway in the future.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Macedonia/Road_network?setlang=en|title=Mk:WikiProject Macedonia/Road network - OpenStreetMap Wiki|website=wiki.openstreetmap.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mtc.gov.mk/new_site/images/storija_doc/115/1908/13-2010.pdf |title=Министерство за Транспорт и Врски |access-date=2019-03-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161011210143/http://www.mtc.gov.mk/new_site/images/storija_doc/115/1908/13-2010.pdf |archive-date=2016-10-11 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Transport in North Macedonia]]
*[[List of controlled-access highway systems]]
*[[Evolution of motorway construction in European nations]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Roads in Europe}}
{{Motorways in Europe}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Motorways In The Republic Of Macedonia}}
[[Category:Motorways in North Macedonia| ]]
[[Category:Road transport in North Macedonia]]
[[Category:Roads in North Macedonia]]