It begins at Mexican Federal Highway 85D (Pachuca—Mexico City) in Ecatepec and immediately features its first toll plaza, turning northeast.

Caminos y Puentes Federales operates the two segments of road and charges a combined 52-peso toll for short itineraries, paid at Tejocotal and covering the road to Nuevo Necaxa; for long-haul trips, this rises to 76 pesos.

This stretch passes Xicotepec de Juárez, with a number of tunnels, and is carried on the 850-metre (2,790 ft) long and 225-metre (738 ft) deep San Marcos Bridge [es], formally named for Gilberto Borja Navarrete and the second longest of its type in the world.

[7] Northeast of the bridge, a spur provides access to Villa Ávila Camacho, which marks the end of the final completed leg;[7] after the spur, the road straightens out and heads due northeast for Tihuatlán in Veracruz.

[8] Autovía Nuevo Necaxa-Tihuatlán, S.A. de C.V. (AUNETI), which is jointly owned by Globalvia and Empresas ICA, operates the roadway and charges a 142-peso toll.