'The Nation's Highway') or SH10,[1] is the longest and only toll motorway in Albania, stretching 114 kilometres (71 mi) in the counties of Lezhë and Kukës.

[3] The significance of the motorway is reflected through its positive economic and cultural impact on the towns and cities within both countries it connects as well as its importance to tourism in Albania.

As part of the South-East European Route 7, the highway will connect the Adriatic Sea ports of Durrës and Shëngjin in Albania via Pristina, with the E75/Corridor X near Niš, Serbia.

[5] The project was a joint venture by the American-Turkish consortium Bechtel-ENKA, Austrian, Slovenian, and Albanian companies.

[6] Dubbed the “patriotic highway”, the project links Albanians in Kosovo and Albania, helping to boost cultural and economic ties.

Once the motorway became tolled in 2018, the security and configuration of remaining segments between Kolsh, Kukës, and Morinë (border with Kosovo) part of the SH5 Highway has drastically improved with the construction of new interchanges.

As most tourists come through Kosovo, the laying of the highway make it easier to travel to the Durrës and Shengjin ports along the Adriatic Sea.

The use of a hydro-powered electricity grid instead of diesel generators has helped in reducing the carbon footprint of the project.

In Late June 2024, the Thumanë-Kashar highway opened as part of the Adriatic-Ionian motorway, the segment between Thumanë and Kashar consists of around 20 kilometres (12 mi) long.

A partial collapse occurred at a 50 metres (160 ft) section in the central-south bore of thetunnel in November 2009.

Such move was fiercely opposed by locals who claimed lack of consultation from the government and unaffordable fees.

The protests turned violent and consequently made the government to withdraw from their position, and eventually consultations took place with the affected parties.

Contractors working in the remaining portions of the highway were Albanian, Austrian, and Slovenian based firms.

[13] Building a highway would "crystallize a year-round tourism industry and double the size of the Albanian market", while allowing both communities to rationalize agriculture.