[1] The Garowe–Bosaso Highway was constructed in 1988, after an Italian firm Merzario had been contracted to build the main trunk road, including its culverts and bridges.

In the Bari province, the highway starts from the Port of Bosaso and continues south as a single carriageway, up over the Al-Miskat hills and downwards toward Qardho.

It continues from there around 205 km (127.6 mi) southwards to Garowe, whereafter the thoroughfare joins the Mogadishu–Berbera highway in neighbouring Somaliland.

Additionally, plans are in the works to construct new roads connecting littoral towns in the region to the main thoroughfare.

[4] In June 2014, the PHA started a major rehabilitation project to repair parts of the road that had incurred structural damage during the previous year's cyclone.