It is heavily used by trucks as a critical access road to Timmins.

Approximately 21 kilometres (13 mi) north of Highway 101, the route encounters the entrance road to the Kidd Creek Mine, and traffic must turn to remain on the highway.

In 2020, traffic surveys conducted by the ministry showed that on average, 8,950 vehicles used the highway daily along the 1.0-kilometre (0.62 mi) section between Highway 101 (Algonquin Boulevard) and Ross Avenue in Timmins while 1,200 vehicles did so each day along the section north of the Kidd Creek Mine at Kidd Creek Mine Road, the highest and lowest counts along the highway, respectively.

[3][4] It was expanded from its original 7-kilometre (4.3 mi) length to its current length in 1979, creating a more efficient link between Timmins and northern communities along Highway 11 such as Smooth Rock Falls, Cochrane and Kapuskasing.

[5][6] The following table lists the major junctions along Highway 655, as noted by the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario.