The highway goes through the villages of Mosby, Homstean, Skarpengland, Hægeland, Hornesund, Hornnes, Evje, Byglandsfjord, Bygland, Ose, Rysstad, Valle, Flatland, Rygnestad, Bykle, Hovden, Bjåen, and Haukeli.

[2] The steamboat SS Bjoren ran from Byglandsfjord to the village of Bygland on the lake Byglandsfjorden before the road was built.

In Setesdal, people and animals used to trek across the mountains from Fyresdal and in the east, from Vinje in the north, from Suldal and Sirdal in the west in order to get to other areas.

After World War II, the road was built further north into Vinje in Telemark county.

Today's road has corrected both of these difficult areas by building tunnels through the adjacent mountainsides.