On Friday 30th. March, another piece of the Sankey Canal restoration jig-saw fell into place when a new footbridge was installed at Winwick Quay. The new bridge carries the tow path across the entrance to Winwick dry dock, the only survivor of three dry docks spaced out along the 15 mile long canal. Brendan Cassin of "Sankey Now", with Richard O'Gara and Dave Nilsson of the Environmental Agency, were on hand to witness the installation.

The Winwick Quay site, adjacent to the M62, was the maintenance yard for Mersey Flats which were hauled along the canal by horse. As well as the dry dock, there were carpenters' and blacksmiths' workshops, a lime kiln, a steaming shed, for forming planks for the hulls, and a public house. Flats could be hauled out of the water beside the maintenance shop, the end of which has been converted to a dwelling, with the curved gable end made into a picture window. The date of its building is carved into the brickwork: 1841. A rare example of canal architecture, it has original fittings and detail inside. The dry dock allowed below water line repairs to be done to a flat. The footbridge would be swung up into its open position; a flat pulled in by horse or man power; entrance gates closed; and water drained out into the Sankey Brook through a sluice gate at its far end. The flat bottom of the vessel settled comfortably onto wooden blocks. The repaired Flat was refloated by admitting water through paddles in the entrance gates.
The Society gave guidance on the design of the new footbridge. SCARS organizes work parties to clean out the dry dock from time to time, and has realigned the path to cross the new bridge.