As it connects the country's second largest city Durrës to Greece, the highway represents a significant north–south transportation corridor in Albania and an essential part of the Adriatic–Ionian motorway and Pan-European Corridor VIII.

The Rruga Shtetërore 4 (SH4) constitutes the southern section of the north–south transportation corridor in Albania.

Part of the road network of Albania, the highway is a portion of the European route E853 Kakavijë–Ioannina, and the Pan-European Corridor VIII Durrës–Skopje–Sofia–Varna.

[3][4][5] Combined with the Rruga Shtetërore 1 (SH1), the northern section of the north–south corridor, the highway will form a major segment of the proposed Adriatic–Ionian motorway.

[6] There are a number of rest areas along the highway providing various types of services, ranging from simple parking spaces to filling stations.