It first crosses under a Via Rail line and then under Wellington Street, with which it has an interchange, after which it passes alongside the Grand River.

As it enters the neighbourhood of Bridgeport, which it divides in two, the route curves west, interchanges with Lancaster Street and crosses into Waterloo.

The highway crosses the Conestoga Creek as it interchanges with University Avenue, then gradually curves to the west.

The divided freeway ends and the route become Waterloo Regional Road 85, which continues north to St. Jacobs and Elmira.

[7] Highway 85 remained unchanged for several decades until the Conestoga Parkway was constructed during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

[11][12] Towards the end of the 1970s, construction began on a northward extension of the Conestoga Parkway from King Street to Northfield Drive; this was completed by 1977.

By then, construction was underway on a two lane bypass of St. Jacobs east of the original route, connecting with the Conestoga Parkway at Northfield Drive, then an at-grade intersection.

[21][22] The following table lists the major junctions along Highway 85, as noted by the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario.