The portion through Dryden, east of Gordon Road, is maintained under a Connecting Link agreement.

The highway was substantially rebuilt and upgraded around 1980 as part of the Ontario Government's renovation of Minaki Lodge (since closed).

Located entirely within geographic Melgund Township in Kenora District, the highway extends for 4.5 kilometres (2.8 mi) from a junction with Highway 17 at Borups Corners northerly to the community of Dyment, ending at a flag stop on the Canadian Pacific Railway transcontinental mainline.

The highway was transferred to the town of Jaffray Melick on April 1, 1997, and the Connecting Link through Kenora removed.

It travels north 12.4 kilometres (7.7 mi) and ends at a fork in the road near Rugby Lake.

[1] Highway 605 was assumed on May 9, 1956,[5] and provides service to the dispersed rural community of Eton-Rugby.

The highway runs west from a junction with Ontario Highway 105 at the community of Red Lake Road to the community of Quibell, passing over the Wabigoon River at Quibell Dam, then heads north over the Canadian National Railway transcontinental main line onward to its terminus at Clay Lake.

[6][7] The road is paved from Highway 105 to Quibell, then gravel to its terminus at Clay Lake,[7] and had an AADT traffic count in 2007 of 100 for its entire length.

It connects Olsen Mine and Madsen with the northern terminus of Highway 105 in the town of Red Lake.

It passes through a remote forested area, and encounters no communities of any significance outside of Red Lake.

[7] The highway passes under the Kenora Bypass and the Canadian Pacific Railway transcontinental main line, and travels through the settlement of Laclu.

The highway crosses the Marchington River and the Canadian National Railway transcontinental main line[7] at the unincorporated place of Superior Junction.

Its southeastern terminus is at Highway 17 at the west edge of the community of Vermilion Bay, and its northwestern terminus is at McIntosh Road at Blue Lake Provincial Park, a distance of 8.2 kilometres (5.1 mi)[10] Beyond this point, the road continues as an unposted local road to the community of McIntosh and further to the Forest Lake Dam, providing access to cottages and resorts on the Indian Lake Chain.

[13][14] The existing road to Goldpines was assumed as a provincial route by the Department of Highways, predecessor to the modern Ministry of Transportation, on November 17, 1966.

The highway extends 25.3 kilometres (15.7 mi) between the city of Kenora and the community of Redditt.

In late July 2012, it was announced that the road would be renamed The Leo Bernier Memorial Highway, after the former MPP for Kenora and Minister of Northern Affairs.