It runs along Yan'an Road in its entirety, continuing from the east terminus of G50 Shanghai-Chongqing Expressway at Huqingping Interchange (close to Hongqiao International Airport) to just beyond the old building of Shanghai Natural History Museum, at which point it ends and rejoins Yan'an Road on the surface.

Traffic is then partly directed underground to the Bund Tunnel (completed 2010).

Construction on the first portion of the elevated roadway, from the Inner Ring Road to Hongqiao Airport, began on 28 November 1995 and was completed on 2 December 1996.

In 2008, to improve cityscape in the historic area near the Bund, the easternmost section of the expressway was demolished.

Part of the elevated expressway is decorated by blue neon lights, which were featured in James Bond movie Skyfall.