on april 1, 1937, the dnd was absorbed into the department of highways, and the road west of pembroke became an extension of highway 17. at this point, the highway from sault ste. marie to the quebec boundary was long. portions were paved at this point: east of sault ste. marie, west of blind river, through sudbury, east of sturgeon falls, through mattawa, and from chalk river to quebec; the remainder was a gravel road. the highway between the manitoba boundary and nipigon was , mostly gravel-surfaced. the only significant exceptions were in the kenora and thunder bay areas.