This is a high-capacity route that improves journeys between two cities in the north of the country: Saltillo, capital of the state of Coahuila, and Monterrey, the most populous city and capital of the state of Nuevo León. It has 4 lanes, 2 in each direction, on the Monterrey-Saltillo highway; and 2 lanes, one in each direction, on the Saltillo bypass. In 2019, the contract was amended with the approval of the construction and operation of the Santa Catarina Viaduct.
This highway represents a strategic route for cross-border trade and transport for more than five million inhabitants who live in the metropolitan areas of these cities, which include some of the most important industrial areas in the country.