Manchester Ship Canal

The Manchester Ship Canal is a canal 58 km long in the north -west of England. The canal begins at the mouth of the Mersey at Liverpool and follows the course of the rivers Mersey and Irwell. The most striking building of the canal is the Barton Swing Aqueduct.

The Manchester Ship Canal took over the function fulfilled as a boat service from Manchester to Irish Sea since the 18th century, the Mersey and Irwell Navigation and the Bridgewater Canal. These two channels, however, were only passable by Narrowboats. As in the second half of the 19th century a long-lasting depression led to the decline of industrial Manchester, the idea was developed to open ships direct access to Manchester. The channel should allow Manchester to become a direct competitor of Liverpool, the transport of goods by small boats to and from Manchester made ​​unattractive with high port charges. The resistance Liverpool delayed the time required to sewer parliamentary resolution, which had been requested in 1882 until 1885.

In 1887 started the construction of the channel; Beginning in 1894, the channel could be taken after six years of construction period. The channel makes the port of Manchester 's third largest seaport in England, although the city is located 64 km from the sea. The channel was designed to allow for construction of the largest boats may pass, but today can not all ships travel along the canal. The channel recorded in 1958 his greatest volume of goods, which has since steadily declined. The owner of Peel Ports, which is a part of Peel Holdings, the channel is planning to expand to revive the ship traffic on the channel.

History

Resistance from Liverpool had the necessary Act of Parliament in 1882 and 1884 fail and only the third draft was 1885 Parliament happen. Only now could begin financing its planned channel. The Act of Parliament wrote a capital of ₤ 8 million before the canal company and saw a period of two years ago in which this money was to obtain. However, the competition from Liverpool and the high costs deterred potential investors. In 1887, a division of capital in preference and ordinary shares was made possible by a new parliament. The Barings Bank and the Rothschild Bank were able to find investors for the preference shares within a short time. It could be made ​​on 11 November 1887, the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the canal. After four years the capital of ₤ was but 8 million is consumed without the canal was completed. The Canal Company turned to the Manchester City Council, with the request to ensure the continued funding of the channel. The city undertook to raise the necessary money for the channel and settled in return a majority in the leadership of the canal company promise.

Edward Leader Williams was in charge of the construction engineer, he designed for the channel Barton Swing Aqueduct is the only Drehaquädukt the world is still a technically important building.

The canal was completed on December 7, 1893 and released on January 1, 1894 for the traffic. Queen Victoria opened the channel officially on a visit to Manchester on 21 May 1894.

Route

The channel runs from its western end at Eastham south of the Mersey past Ellesmere Port. Between Rixton, east of the M6 ​​Thelwall viaducts, Irlam and the channel follows the Mersey. At the confluence of the Mersey and Irwell in Irlam of the canal follows the old course of the River Irwell to enter to Manchester. With five locks the channel overcomes a height difference of 18 m.

Construction

In the planning and early execution stage was based on the following indicators:

  • Length: 57 km
  • Water table width a maximum of 52 m
  • Sole Width: 36.5m
  • Minimum water depth of 7.9 m
  • Water level difference: 18 m
  • Locks: four ( a maximum of 180 m to 24 m); Material: Green heart wood
  • Locks and Quaimauern: about 900,000 m³ of concrete; 120,000 m³ and 150,000 m³ brickwork other masonry
  • Total Excavation (Channel plus Docks ): 35 million cubic meters, of which about 7 million m³ of rock
  • Machinery ( piercing ): 100 Excavators (current average daily capacity: 500 m³ to 1,400 m³)
  • Material handling: 173 locomotives, 6,300 wagons to 360 km tracks work
  • Auxiliary machinery: 194 steam cranes, steam pumps 209, 182 various steam engines Energy expenditure: about 10,000 tons of coal per month

Other Facilities

For the transport of goods between warehouses and the wharves operated the canal company, the Manchester Ship Canal Railway, which was a private railway to its setting in April 2009.

By 1993, entertained the canal company, the Manchester Ship Canal Police, on a width of 1.5 km held the police force along the route of the canal on both sides of the channel.

River Mersey
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