Manchester Ship Canal

Manchester Ship Canal, 35.5 mi (57 km) long with a minimum depth of 28 ft (8.5 m), connecting Manchester, W England, with the Mersey estuary at Eastham, above Birkenhead. Begun in 1887, it was opened in 1894 and changed Manchester from a river port to a seaport.

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Manchester Ship Canal 

a navigable canal in Great Britain, linking the city of Manchester with the Irish Sea via the Mersey River estuary. Length, 57 km; minimum depth of 8.5 m; there are locks. The canal crosses the south Lancaster industrial region. It was built in 1887-94 south of the old and shallow Bridgewater Canal. The construction of the Manchester Ship Canal helped transform the city of Manchester into a seaport and contributed to its industrial growth. The main cargoes at the Mersey end of the canal are machines, chemicals, and textiles, and at the Manchester end they are oil, cotton, grains, rubber, lumber, and foodstuffs. Several cities, including Widnes, Runcorn, and Warrington, are on the canal.