Planning, Research and Karstological Monitoring of Expressways Crossing Classical Karst (Slovenia)

Martin Knez, Tadej Slabe

Karst Research Institute Scientific Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts P.O.Box 59, SI-6230 Postojna, Slovenia.

DOI: 10.4236/ce.2012.37B009                

Abstract

Over the last fifteen years the construction of modern expressways in Slovenia has been one of the major construction projects aimed at connecting important parts of the country and opening them to Europe. Almost half of Slovenia is karst and more than half of the water for the supply of the population comes from karst aquifers. Slovenia is home to the classical karst region of Kras that gave its name for this unique carbonate rock landscape to numerous world languages and is also the cradle of karstology. We need to better understand this fragile karst landscape and do everything to preserve it since it is an important part of our natural and cultural heritage.

Keywords

Expressways Planning; Karstological Monitoring; Karst Protection; Classical Karst; Slovenia

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	M. Knez and T. Slabe, Kraski pojavi razkriti med gradnjo slovenskih avtocest = Karst features discovered during motorway construction in Slovenia. Ljubljana, Slovenia: ZRC Publishing, 2007.
[2]	D. Culver et al., Karstology and development challenges on karst 2, Construction, tourism ecology, protection. Ljubljana, Slovenia: ZRC Publishing, 2012.