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David Cochrane, head of regeneration at British Waterways, said: "This will make Liverpool a major destination for the 25,000 licensed boaters in this country.
"We anticipate more than 4,500 a year will come to the docks. At the moment there are only about 40 using that stretch.
"At the moment, the area is lacking in vitality and animation. This link will make it a lively, vibrant place to be. "The boats will be brought in through Sefton and will help regenerate the whole area.
"The only way to access the dock at the moment is using the river, which is difficult and dangerous.
"This is going to benefit all of Merseyside and will be ready for 2008."
Plans to extend the Leeds-Liverpool canal through the Pier Head were approved by the city council last April.
The £15m route will be cut from the canal's present terminus at Trafalgar Dock through to Canning Dock, running past the Three Graces.
It will finally open up the Pier Head to barges and ultimately allow narrow boats into the Albert Dock water system.
The western end of the canal, from Aintree to Stanley Dock, Liverpool, has been legally classified as a "remainder" waterway for the past 40 years, with only minimal facilities being provided for leisure boaters.
The wharves and warehouses of its former terminus near Pall Mall were closed in the 1960s.
Only 30-40 boats annually make the journey to Liverpool's Stanley Dock, with even fewer navigating their way to the derelict docks area using the River Mersey.
There are also plans for towpath and security improvements.
The whole scheme is is expected to be completed by September, 2007, and is being funded by the North West Development Agency and European Objective 1 money.
Chris Davies, a former Liverpool councillor and a canal enthusiast, who has worked closely with British Waterways on the scheme, said: "I can remember when there was talk of having the canal filled in as a danger and public nuisance. It was hidden away and many people thought it neither use nor ornament.
"Now it looks as though the waterway, which brought coal and trade to Merseyside in the 19th century, is going to prove a very attractive asset in the 21st century. It's going to give a boost to regeneration efforts in Sefton and the North of the city."
samlister@dailypost.co.uk
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