The eastern terminus is at Interstate 90 and Pennsylvania Route 430 southeast of downtown in Harborcreek Township.

The two routes remain conjoined to I-90 exit 32, where PA 290 terminates on the southeast side of the interchange.

The Bayfront Connector is a 5.34-mile (8.59 km),[a] four-lane expressway that connects Interstate 90 to downtown Erie, Pennsylvania; it is continuous with Route 290 throughout its length.

After the intersection of Shannon Road, the Bayfront Connector stops paralleling railroad tracks and crosses Fourmile Creek over the Wintergreen Gorge Bridge.

The entrance to Penn State Erie is on the Connector at the intersection for Hannon Road and Knowledge Parkway.