Timelapse footage shows a journey along the new 21-mile stretch of the A14 between Cambridge and Huntingdon in just one minute.

Diss Mercury: The �1.5 billion A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon scheme is opening to traffic eight months ahead of schedule. Picture: Highways England/James WalkerThe �1.5 billion A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon scheme is opening to traffic eight months ahead of schedule. Picture: Highways England/James Walker (Image: Highways England)

The £1.5bn upgrade, aimed at strengthening links between the East of England and the Midlands, has been completed eight months ahead of schedule.

It is hoped the scheme will transform travel on the main road through Cambridgeshire, shaving up to 20 minutes off journeys, while access to and from the UK’s largest port, at Felixstowe, is also expected to improve.

Diss Mercury: The �1.5 billion A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon scheme is opening to traffic eight months ahead of schedule. Picture: Highways England/James WalkerThe �1.5 billion A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon scheme is opening to traffic eight months ahead of schedule. Picture: Highways England/James Walker (Image: Highways England)

The road-building project was, until its completion, the biggest in Britain, resulting in the employment of more than 14,000 people with 2,500 working on the site during its peak.

Having begun in November 2016, building took 14 million construction hours – the equivalent of almost 1,600 years.

Diss Mercury: The �1.5 billion A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon scheme is opening to traffic eight months ahead of schedule. Picture: Highways England/James WalkerThe �1.5 billion A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon scheme is opening to traffic eight months ahead of schedule. Picture: Highways England/James Walker (Image: Highways England)

The project was originally scheduled for completion by December 2020, but final roadworks have been removed and the new lanes are available for use with the national speed limit restored.