From Tirana at the Kamza Bypass (Albanian: Mbikalimi i Kamzës) northward, it passes through Fushë-Krujë, Milot, Lezhë, Shkodër, and Koplik.

The road segment between Han i Hotit and Shkodër (about 32.5 km (20.2 mi)) was completed in 2013 as a single carriageway standard (Albanian: superstradë).

It was planned to incorporate a defensive dam against Lake Shkodër, but works were abandoned a few years later only to restart in 2017.

The road continues as a single carriageway down to Milot and contains some uncontrolled and dangerous entry and exit points.

The section between Milot and Fushë-Krujë was unofficially named as the "Road of Death" by many media reports for its structural deficiencies.