The Dadfords, who were engineers on the Trent and Mersey Canal, estimated the cost at £20,000, but the proposal was opposed by landowners and merchants on the river, while the Navigator, published in 1788, estimated that around 500 men who were employed to bow-haul boats would have lost their jobs.
Os Dadfords, que foron enxeñeiros no canal do Trent e Mersey, estimaron o custo en 20 000 libras, pero a proposta foi rexeitada polos terratenentes e os comerciantes do río, mentres que o Navigator, publicado en 1788, estima que ao redor de 500 homes quen traballaban arrastrando as embarcacións perderían os seus postos de traballo.