Liverpool Canal Link

It was intended that the Leeds and Liverpool Canal would be linked to the docks in Liverpool. It was only in 1846, 30 years after the canal's completion, that the canal was directly linked to the docks via the Stanley Dock Branch. Georges Dock was filled in at the beginning of the 20th century to allow the building of the Liver Building, Cunard Building and the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board Building, now known as "the Three Graces". This meant the North and South Docks were no longer directly linked. Boats wishing to travel from the North Docks to the South Docks had to go via the River Mersey.

In 2007, during the construction of the canal link, the sites of Chester Basin and Manchester Dock were excavated. The excavation revealed various carved stones in the area of Chester Basin, which were identified as being from the Liverpool Town Hall of 1673. The excavation was shown in a Time Team Special, broadcast on Channel 4 on Monday 21 April 2008. The canal link was completed in December 2008 with the Pier Head section finished earlier in September. After a period of testing and commissioning the canal link opened on 25 March 2009.