Despite this, it was still a rival to the Bridgewater Canal. So much so that in 1844, the Mersey and Irwell Company was purchased by the Trustees of the Bridgewater Canal, which was the first phase towards allowing the waterway to be replaced in it's entirety. The area where the docks once stood can still be viewed from the end of the lane adjacent to the Decks apartment complex, however the docking area was modernised and very little remains of what came before it.