The freeway travels from SC 171 on James Island to U.S. Route 17 (US 17) in downtown Charleston.

The current route was proposed as early as the 1960s to provide a second and more direct connection between James Island and downtown Charleston.

It opened on September 4, 1993, and provided a route off the island that did not require crossing a drawbridge.

Some alternatives shown include the possibility that it will be built in expressway grade instead, falling short of being labeled an Interstate Highway.

[6] Citing Charleston County's inability to provide funds to cover the project's increased cost, the State Transportation Infrastructure Bank (SIB) board voted on May 26, 2016, to abandon the proposed extension of I-526 across James and Johns Islands.

[8] In December 2023, the South Carolina Joint Bond Review Committee approved the state's Transportation Infrastructure Bank's action Tuesday afternoon of providing $75 million for preliminary costs in the project, which is dubbed the Mark Clark Extension Project.