River Mersey (Tidal Section)
The maximum dimensions for a boat to be able to travel on the waterway are 72 feet long and 14 feet wide. The maximum headroom is not known. The maximum draught is not known.
It has junctions with the Manchester Ship Canal (Main Line) at Mersey - Ship Canal Junction; with the Liverpool South Docks at Mersey - South Docks Junction and with the Sankey Canal (Main Line) at Mersey - Sankey Junction.
Relevant publications — Waterway Maps:
| Irwell Navigation Junction Junction of the River Irwell and the Walton Lock Branch Canal |
|||
| Eastford Road Railway Bridges | ½ furlongs | 0 locks | |
| Bank Quay Trading Estate Bridge | 4¾ furlongs | 0 locks | |
| Warrington Transporter Bridge | 5¾ furlongs | 0 locks | |
| Factory Lane Pipe Bridge | 7½ furlongs | 0 locks | |
| Forrest Way Bridge | 1 mile and 5¼ furlongs | 0 locks | |
| Mersey Gateway Bridge Opened: 14 October 2017 |
7 miles and 1¾ furlongs | 0 locks | |
| Mersey - Sankey Junction Junction of the River Mersey and the Sankey Canal |
7 miles and 7¼ furlongs | 0 locks | |
| Silver Jubilee Bridge | 8 miles and 3½ furlongs | 0 locks | |
| Ethelfleda Bridge | 8 miles and 3½ furlongs | 0 locks | |
| Mersey - Ship Canal Junction Junction of the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal |
21 miles and 7½ furlongs | 0 locks | |
| Stalbridge Dock Entrance | 22 miles and 4¾ furlongs | 0 locks | |
| Mersey - South Docks Junction Junction of the River Mersey and the Liverpool South Docks |
23 miles and 5½ furlongs | 0 locks | |
| Prince's Half Tide Dock Entrance | 25 miles and 5½ furlongs | 0 locks | |
| Salisbury Dock Entrance | 26 miles and 3½ furlongs | 0 locks | |
| Sandon Half Tide Dock Entrance | 26 miles and 5¾ furlongs | 0 locks | |
| Alexandra Dock Entrance Access via Langton Lock |
27 miles and 4 furlongs | 0 locks | |
| Gladstone Dock Entrance | 28 miles and 1¼ furlongs | 0 locks | |
| River Mersey Entrance | 29 miles and 1¾ furlongs | 0 locks |
- Warrington Transporter Bridge Friends — associated with Warrington Transporter Bridge
- Warrington Transporter Bridge
Wikipedia has a page about River Mersey
The River Mersey () is a river in the North West of England. Its name is derived from the Anglo-Saxon language and translates as "boundary river". The river may have been the border between the ancient kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria and for centuries it has formed part of the boundary between the historic counties of Lancashire and Cheshire.
The start of the Mersey is at the confluence of the River Tame and River Goyt in Stockport. It flows westwards through the suburban areas of south Manchester, then into the Manchester Ship Canal at Irlam, becoming a part of the canal and maintaining the canal's water levels. After 4 miles (6.4 km) the river exits the canal, flowing towards Warrington where the river widens. It then narrows as it passes between the towns of Runcorn and Widnes. From Runcorn the river widens into a large estuary, which is 3 miles (4.8 km) across at its widest point near Ellesmere Port. The course of the river then turns north as the estuary narrows between Liverpool and Birkenhead on the Wirral Peninsula to the west, and empties into Liverpool Bay. In total the river flows 70.33 miles (113 km).
A railway tunnel between Birkenhead and Liverpool as part of the Mersey Railway opened in 1886. Two road tunnels pass under the estuary from Liverpool: the Queensway Tunnel opened in 1934 connecting the city to Birkenhead, and the Kingsway Tunnel, opened in 1971, to Wallasey. A road bridge, completed in 1961 and later named the Silver Jubilee Bridge, crosses between Runcorn and Widnes, adjacent to the Runcorn Railway Bridge which opened in 1868. A second road bridge, the Mersey Gateway, opened in October 2017, carrying a six-lane road connecting Runcorn's Central Expressway with Speke Road and Queensway in Widnes. The Mersey Ferry operates between Pier Head in Liverpool and Woodside in Birkenhead and Seacombe, and has become a tourist attraction offering cruises that provide an overview of the river and surrounding areas.
Water quality in the Mersey was severely affected by industrialisation, and in 1985, the Mersey Basin Campaign was established to improve water quality and encourage waterside regeneration. In 2009 it was announced that the river is "cleaner than at any time since the industrial revolution" and is "now considered one of the cleanest in the UK". The Mersey Valley Countryside Warden Service manages local nature reserves such as Chorlton Ees and Sale Water Park. The river gave its name to Merseybeat, developed by bands from Liverpool, notably the Beatles. In 1965 it was the subject of the top-ten hit single "Ferry Cross the Mersey" by Gerry and the Pacemakers.