The Bridgewater Way is being promoted by the Bridgewater Canal Trust, a partnership which comprises 8 local authorities and The Manchester Ship Canal Company (part of the Peel Holdings Group) The Bridgewater Canal has throughout its long history been successful, first as a commercial waterway and latterly following cessation of freight in 1974 as a leisure waterway The Bridgewater Way is a regeneration project that will create a 65km/39 mile leisure route for walkers and cyclists along the historic Bridgewater Canal