It continues out of the town alongside the Ottawa River for several kilometres before venturing eastward inland.

The route continues through the isolated terrain of the Canadian Shield, with the Boreal Forest surrounding the highway on both sides and very few signs of human habitation outside of Mattawa.

It zig-zags north and northeast, avoiding numerous lakes and muskeg that dot the region, providing access to Alexander Lake Forest Provincial Park around its midpoint.

[3] When it was assumed, the route was approximately 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) in length, terminating at its present intersection with Forest Acres Road.

[7] In 1962, work began on paving the gravel sections of the highway.