Monday 2nd July 1962

The first 26 miles (42 km) of the M5 motorway to be built, constructed as a dual two-lane motorway (two lanes in each direction), with Worcestershire County Council acting as engineer, opened. This section, from Junction 4 (Lydiate Ash) in the north to a trumpet junction with the M50 in the south, opened in July 1962. The southern end was called a trumpet junction because of its shape: a 270 degree curved bend. There were no other exits from this trumpet junction though room was left for an extension to the south.