River Mersey, Widnes

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Today I went for a walk along the River Mersey at Widnes and took some photos. The weather was hot, humid and very, very cloudy, which made for interesting photography. One day I shall return to both sides of the river in finer weather.

Silver Jubilee Bridge

The above photo shows the Silver Jubilee Bridge across the River Mersey, between Widnes and Runcorn. It was opened in 1961 to replace the Runcorn Widnes Transporter Bridge. Which was demolished just after the Silver Jubilee Bridge was opened; the photo below shows the road leading up to it.

The bridge acquired its name in 1977, when the carriageway was widened to two lanes in each direction. That year was Queen Elizabeth II’s silver jubilee, marking 25 years on the throne.

Behind the bridge, you can just make out the railway bridge. It carries the main Liverpool to London railway across the Mersey.

Mersey Gateway Bridge

The jubilee bridge was originally designed to carry up to 8,000 vehicles a day. Fifty years later it was carrying more than 80,000, so a new bridge was deemed necessary. The new bridge is called the Mersey Gateway Bridge and it was opened in 2017.

Below are two photos of the new bridge. Behind the bridge you can see the old Fiddlers Ferry power station. It was coal fired and closed several years ago. There are plans to demolish it and build a housing estate there.

I published two photos of the new bridge taken last May when I visited the Runcorn side with my friend John. The photos are on this journal post.

The photo below also shows the new bridge along with two sailing boats moored to the sea wall at Spike Island.

Manchester Ship Canal Swing Bridge

The next photo shows one of the many swing bridges across the Manchester Ship Canal.

Sankey Canal

The Sankey Canal connected St Helens with the River Mersey at Widnes/Spike Island. It was closed in 1963. Restoration began in 1980 and is being done by the Sankey Canal Restoration Society. It’s unlikely that the full canal will be restored, as a lot of lifting bridges have been replaced by fixed bridges.

I first came across the canal last December when calling in at the Ferry Tavern after a long drive from Scotland. I wrote about that encounter here and here.

I visited the canal at the Ferry Tavern with my sister on a sunny day last March. I wrote three journal posts about the visit. The first is here, click next to go to the next one.

The photos below show the lock giving access from the canal to the Mersey. It seems to be a mooring place for sailing boats but is supposed to be still in use. It was restored in the 1980s.

The photo below shows the canal looking away from the lock. I was told by someone that the water was very low, and that the week before there was no water.

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