the sections from huntingdon east to the ports were upgraded first, starting with the huntingdon bypass in 1973, followed by the girton to bar hill section in 1975/76 and the cambridge northern bypass and cambridge/newmarket section in 1976/77. the bar hill to huntington section opened in 1979 prior to the m11 which was fully opened in 1980. the ipswich southern bypass including the orwell bridge opened in 1982.