Congestion on the Farmer's Bridge flight of locks had been a problem since 1793, and had been compounded by the opening of the Warwick and Birmingham Canal, which provided the main link between the Birmingham canals and London. Improvements completed in 1829 to the Birmingham Canal's main line and the opening of the Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal in 1835, which brought traffic into the area from and bound for the north west, meant a solution to the congestion was urgently required, and an Act was obtained in 1839 to authorise the Tame Valley Canal.
A persistent problem on the Farmer's Bridge flight of locks since 1793 was worsened by the opening of the Warwick and Birmingham Canal, which linked the Birmingham canals to London. By 1829, improvements had been made to the Birmingham Canal's main line, and in 1835, the Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal opened, diverting traffic from and to the north west. This created a pressing need for a solution, prompting an Act in 1839 to permit the construction of the Tame Valley Canal.