A £22m project linking Liverpool to the UK's 2,200-mile canal system will be officially opened today.

The new one-and-a-half mile long canal in the centre of Liverpool will re-establish an historic connection between the city's South Docks and the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. It is hoped the new link will generate some 200,000 extra visitors a year to the city's docks, worth an estimated £1.9 million to the local economy.

Thousands of boats will be able to travel to the heart of Liverpool along the 127-mile Leeds & Liverpool canal, passing historic buildings including the Liver Building, Cunard and Port of Liverpool.

Robin Evans, chief executive of British Waterways said the new stretch of canal was a boost to the renaissance of the nation's inland waterways.

"Given that Britain's canal system was pretty much viewed as a lost cause, and was actively being filled in and maligned during the 20th century, it's remarkable the way that the waterways have been reinvented for the 21st century and that we're still building canals today."

Liverpool city council leader Warren Bradley said, "The opening of the canal link is a significant day in the recent history of Liverpool. We want the new-look Pier Head to be a must-see destination for visitors to the city and the new canal will add life and vibrancy to our waterfront."