It has a length of 218 kilometres (135 mi) across the regions of Djibouti, Arta and Dikhil.

In recent years, the road has been undergoing major reconstruction works in several parts.

From Djibouti City that travels through three regions of Djibouti from the Gulf of Aden on the east to the Ethiopia to the west, it passes through Weʽa, Omar Jagaa, Mouloud, Dagguirou, Dikhil, Gorabous and Yoboki.

It was on June 28, 1974, the date of an agreement between French Territory of the Afars and the Issas and Ethiopia, that the construction of a road between Dikhil and Galafi was decided with an extension of 30 km to the Ethiopian A1 road (connecting Assab and Addis Ababa).

The works were financed by France and carried out between 1975 and 1976 by the COLAS Road Company (130 km including 30 in Ethiopia).