There were problems of congestion at Smethwick caused by the time taken to traverse the locks and with supplying sufficient water to the summit level. John Smeaton was engaged to advise on a solution. He specified a 1000-yard cutting through the top eighteen feet of the summit, eliminating three locks from each end, and doubling the capacity of the descent at Smethwick locks by building a parallel flight of three locks, in use until the 1960s.
There were issues of congestion at Smethwick caused by the time required to traverse the locks and with supplying adequate water to the summit level. John Smeaton was engaged to provide guidance on a solution. He proposed a 1000-yard cutting through the top eighteen feet of the summit, eliminating three locks from each end, and doubling the capacity of the descent at Smethwick locks by constructing a parallel flight of three locks, in use until the 1960s.