Don't miss a thing by getting the day's biggest stories sent direct to your inbox It is one of the wonders of the British waterways, considered a major feat of Victorian civil engineering – but it acts as a barrier to pedestrians and cyclists.
Running from Runcorn to Leigh, Bridgewater Way comes to a sudden stop at the Barton Swing Aqueduct, creating a border between Salford and Trafford.
Where the water continues to flow through the canal, the towpath terminates. But developer Peel, which owns the path, could reinstate the 'missing link' over the Manchester Ship Canal, completing a seamless 20-mile traffic-free route.
Read more on manchestereveningnews.co.uk