Route 5 is a national route of Uruguay. In 1975, it was assigned the name Brigadier General Fructuoso Rivera, a national hero of Uruguay. It is one of the most important highways in country, along with Route 3, connecting Montevideo in the south with Rivera in the north and passing through the centre of the country. The road is approximately in length. Upon reaching Santana do Livramento (the Brazilian extension of Rivera), the road joins federal highway BR-158.
The distance notation along Route 5 uses the same Kilometre Zero reference as Routes 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9 and IB, which is the Pillar of Peace of Plaza de Cagancha in the Centro of Montevideo.
These are the populated places Route 5 passes through, as well as its main junctions with other National Roads.