Starting north of Madian Overpass on the Northern 3rd Ring Road, it runs for approximately 50 kilometres in a direction toward Beijing's north-west.

After the linking was complete, the stretch to Yanqing and Kangzhuang was opened, and the toll gate at Juyongguan was put out of service soon after.

The Valley of Death (see relevant part of this article) is a (potential) speed trap and a black spot for traffic accidents.

The entire stretch north of the 5th Ring Road to Kangzhuang costs CNY 35 (for small passenger cars).

Long traffic jams can clog up to the extent that the stretch from Madian to Jianxiang can become a three-lane car park during rush hour.

[citation needed] After passing a large car park, you head for the Badaling Great Wall, which has been frequented by millions of visitors.

Beijing police authorities enacted a low speed limit of 60 km/h for light-duty vehicles and 40 km/h for lorries.

According to the Road Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China, exceeding 50% of the regulated limit results in loss of driving licence (plus a 2-year waiting period for reapplications) and a fine of CNY 2000 (approximately US$260).

Five speed cameras and a GPRS wireless network for violator data transfer make this system highly effective.

In rare cases, police have reportedly stopped speeders near the disused Juyongguan toll gate.

There are many emergency brake-fail areas, where cars that suffer brake failure can slow down by rolling into an upward hill full of pebbles.