The Monroe Expressway begins at a partial interchange which only provides access from eastbound and to westbound US 74 as well as Stallings Road and Marie Garris Drive.

It heads northeast through a mixed-use suburban area, turning to the southeast around Lake Park at a folded diamond interchange with Indian Trail Fairview Road.

The freeway and Secrest Short Cut Road diverge as the former meets US 601 at a partial cloverleaf interchange north of Monroe.

The road then intersects North Carolina Highway 200 (NC 200) at a folded diamond interchange, turning east-southeast away from Monroe and then due east.

[3] Among the alternatives considered were simply upgrading US 74 to a freeway or building the road on a new alignment, as well as various locations to connect to I-485, including the existing interchange with US 74.

In 2005, the North Carolina Turnpike Authority considered building the Connector as a toll road at the request of the Mecklenburg–Union Metropolitan Planning Organization (MUMPO).

With the original environmental studies for the Monroe Bypass almost 10 years old, the Federal Highway Administration required NCDOT to reevaluate the documents before starting construction.