It runs on the east side of the Ambracian Gulf from Amfilochia to the Arta-Aitoloacarnania boudnary. Before the opening of the Arta by-pass, the highway passed about 100 m from the historic Old Arta bridge and north of Arta. The highway has a tunnel between Arta and Ioannina.

History

In the late-1990s, a slope near the tunnel located between Arta and Ioannina was devastated with a mudslide cutting off traffic and hydro to the area. A few days later, the highway/route was reopened

The highway passes within towns and cities ordered from north to south includes:

• west of Rio
  
• Rio-Antirio bridge (toll)
  
• Antirio, since the openeing of the bridge, bypasses
  
• Junction of GR-48
  
• Messolonghi (bypasses in the north and east)
  
• east of Aitoliko
  
• Fragkouleika, now bypasses since 2003 or 2004
  
• west of Agrinio, junctions with GR-38 in the south
  
• the bridge thath spans 2 km over the Achelous River NW of Agrinio
  
• Amfilochia, junctions with GR-42
  
• Menidi
  
• Arta, since the mid-1990s, bypasses to the north
  
• junction with GR-21, now further away since the mid-1990s
  
• junction with the University of Ioannina
  
• ends at downtown Ioannina