The expressway will form a key link in the round-the-island highway: it will connect with the Second Northern Freeway to the west, and with Toucheng and Suao in Ilan County to the east, as well as with the future National Eastern Highway.
就交通意義而言，將向西銜接北二高、向東銜接北宜高頭城蘇澳段，以及未來的國道東部公路，是環島高速網路中的重要環節。