the former alignment of Highway 17, which it has served to replace. It passes through a forested and agricultural landscape en route to Ottawa, serving the communities of Hawkesbury, Vankleek Hill, Casselman, Limoges and Vars. After approximately the route curves southwest while ramps provide access from the westbound lanes to Prescott and Russell County Road 17 and from County Road17 to the eastbound lanes of Highway 417. County Road17 was formerly part of Highway17 until it was decommissioned as a provincial highway in 1998. The route later meets the southern terminus of Highway 34 at Exit 27. Continuing southwest, the route meanders along the boundary between The Nation and North Glengarry, eventually encountering the northern terminus of Highway 138 — a highway built to connect Highway 417 with Highway 401 and Cornwall — east of Casselman. At this point, the freeway enters The Nation and diverges from the boundary. After crossing a Via Rail line, the route dips south of Casselman and curves to the west at Exit 66 (County Road 7). It roughly parallels the Via Rail line several kilometres north of the freeway, though significant deviations bypass the communities of Benoit and Limoges; the latter is served by Exit 79 (County Road 5). Near Limoges is the Larose Forest, a man-made forest planted between 1928 and 1980 over the Bourget Desert, itself created as the result of clear cutting in the 19th century. At Exit 88, Highway 417 enters the city of Ottawa, though the surroundings remain unchanged until Exit 110 (Walkley Road), near Ramsayville. North of Ramsayville, the route jogs abruptly to the west as it crosses Greens Creek and enters the suburbs of Ottawa; an interchange with Innes Road divides the countryside to the south and east from the city to the north and west. The freeway merges with Ottawa Regional Road 174 (also known as the Queensway) at a large two-level interchange known locally as the Split, curving to the west and into downtown Ottawa. This reunites Highway 417 with the former Highway 17, that portion which was renamed as Regional Road 174. The interchange also provides access to Aviation Parkway from westbound Highway 417 and from the parkway to eastbound Highway 417. West of this junction, Highway 417 assumes the route name of the Queensway. Queensway Within Ottawa, the Queensway extends from Orleans in the east and passes just south of downtown through central