Owing to the fact that the Adriatic Sea is the one most indented in the European continent, the Northern Adriatic provides the central European countries with the shortest access to deep sea through the Gulf of Trieste and the Gulf of Quarnero / Rijeka. The main route of the Pan-European V corridor as well as its VB branch provide a NE entrance through the European Southern Gate, thus linking that part of the European continent to the Northern Adriatic ports. It is through this very route that the sea routes, which are the continuation of the Northern Adriatic ports of Rijeka, Koper and Trieste toward the Mediterranean and toward large markets east of Suez, represent the shortest and most cost effective trading routes. The scientific problem of this study features the fact that, for all the linking of starting points of the Pan-European V corridor and the VB branch by land representing a significant segment in the development of the Northern Adriatic traffic route, the issue comprising the pertaining land traffic infrastructure has not been adequately studied and analysed. The purpose of the study is to carry out a systematic survey and analysis of the Northern Adriatic land traffic route, to propose criteria for an optimal selection of the land traffic marked route, railway line and road and to prepare a land connection optimization model for starting points of the Pan-European corridor V and the VB branch. The significance of the Pan-European corridor V and the VB branch for integration of the Northern Adriatic traffic route in the European traffic system has been elaborated through a detailed analysis of land traffic routes. The present situation and development plans concerning the land traffic infrastructure on the Northern Adriatic traffic route have been determined and analysed. A comprehensive analysis has been carried out comprising the development and operation of the Northern Adriatic ports of Rijeka, Koper and Trieste as well as their geographical, traffic and logistic features. Competitiveness of the Northern Adriatic traffic route has been determined through the analysis comprising its economic environment and potential market areas, elaborated integration of the Northern Adriatic ports through logistic principles, and analysis of competitiveness with regard to alternative traffic routes. Whereas the planning and designing processes precede the decision on the selection of the optimal land traffic marked route, the methodology and analysis of the traffic related regional planning and designing have been presented and the significance of evaluation and optimization of traffic related regional designing has been defined. In accordance with the purpose and aim of the study, the PROMETHEE method has been selected as well as the computer programme for multicriteria ranking of variants D-sight 3.2.4 among a number of multicriteria analytical methods for optimization of selection concerning the land traffic marked route to link the starting points of the Pan- European corridor V and the VB branch. The significant feature of this method is that using the exact data it enables either partial or complete ranking of a large number of variants with regard to a larger number of criteria. The aim of the study was to develop a model for the selection of the railway line or road marked route to be applicable at any decision-making level. The study included all the facts enabling the criteria and subcriteria to be determined for the selection of the railway line and road marked routes at both theoretical and operational levels. The problem concerning evaluation of railway line or road marked routes becomes reduced to the decision-making process dealing with the selection of the marked route preceded by a detailed analysis of possible variants and their evaluation by experts. Optimization of the land traffic infrastructure between the Pan-European corridor V and its VB branch has been carried out by determining relevant thematic groups of criteria and subcriteria for the selection of the railway line and road marked route. The criteria have been subjectively defined with the aid of domestic and foreign technical and scientific literature. The conducted survey comprising the analysis of expert opinions in the field of the land traffic infrastructure planning and designing was used in the assessment and evaluation of defined thematic groups of criteria and subcriteria. The weight coefficient has been defined for each thematic group of criteria and for every single subcriterion and a model has been prepared for the selection of railway line and road marked routes. Using the quantitative and qualitative assessment criteria and subcriteria and applying the multicriteria analysis, the efficiency and effectiveness of the model was tested by way of example for linking the starting points of the Pan-European corridor V and the VB branch and, respectively, for selecting optimal railway line and motorway Rijeka – Koper – Trieste marked routes. With regard for the widely applicable nature of the proposed models in practice, their universal applicability has been emphasized as eligible in the selection of the appropriate land traffic marked route, be it a railway line or a road.