The Manchester Ship Canal (MSC), affectionatly known by locals as The Big Ditch, was opened on 21 May 1894, and is a large canal in northern England. Running from Eastham Ferry, where a set of locks open out into the River Mersey, the canal runs for 36 miles (57 kilometers) and links the city of Manchester to the Irish Sea. As the name suggests, the MSC is large enough to take ocean-going ships.
The canal terminates just past Pomona Docks, Manchester. Between Warrington and Flixton the canal borrows the route of the River Mersey, and between there and Salford follows the course of the River Irwell.
Today, a fixed road bridge separates Pomona Docks from Salford Quays, meaning only some boats can make the full trip to Pomona Docks. Most vessels have to terminate at Salford Quays.
The MSC is the eighth-longest ship canal in the world, being only slightly shorter than the Panama Canal in Central America.
It was built as a way to reverse the economic decline that Manchester suffered during the late 19th century, by ensuring the city had direct access to the sea to export its manufactured goods, and wouldn't have to rely for sea access on the nearby port city of Liverpool.
Upon completion, the MSC ensured that Manchester became Britain's third busiest port, despite being 40 miles inland. Unlike most British canals, the MSC was never nationalised and to this day is owned by the Manchester Ship Canal Company.
Today, due largely to the decline in manufacturing industry and the fact that most modern ships are too large to fit in the MSC, the part of the MSC that goes into central Manchester is no longer used for freight transport, and the amount of freight carried on the MSC has declined, although around eight million tonnes are still transported on the canal each year.