IT'S ships ahoy as Preston's new waterway was unveiled linking Lancaster canal to Britain's waterways for the first time.
Margaret Beckett MP, Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, opened the Ribble Link on Friday, September 20, after arriving at the site on board Ashanti Gold, with Waterways chairman George Greener and other invited guests.
The Labour MP was met by Preston Mayor, councillor Jonathan Saksena, before the unveiling at 2.15pm.
Barges will be able to cruise direct from Lancaster to London and, with work under way to restore the canal north to Kendal, boaters will soon be able to access the Lake District.
An increase in tourism, new jobs and an improved environment are the expected results of the new Millennium Ribble Link.
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