[2] The canal connects Manchester, a national city of cultural and economic significance, to the Irish Sea.

The ship canal was completed in 1894 and designed to give Manchester and Salford unhindered access to the sea.

[3] The port is close to key sites for the distribution of goods, such as Manchester and Trafford Park.

[6] No one was injured, but the damaged bridge deck fell blocking the span and leaving a cargo vessel, Arklow Vale, stuck at Eccles unable to pass back down the canal.

The contract for WGIS was awarded to Hochtief and the Buckingham Group in December 2012[7] and construction began in January 2013 for completion in 2016.