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The Canal Company is about to cut a canal from Langstone to Portsmouth Harbour, under Portsbridge, and we only now discover, that the Trustees of our London road have been highly negligent of their duty, in not watching the Canal Act through Parliament, and objecting, in the proper place, to a clause, enabling them to pull down such bridges as may be necessary, and re-building them. The clause states that where the company increases the height of a bridge they shall make the approach over it at a rise of one foot in twelve, an ascent much too steep over Portsbridge, where there is not room for two carriages to pass at one time. As this bridge is to be raised five feet, and the distance of the rise is only sixty feet, it follows, that two carriages rapidly driven will meet on the summit of the bridge before one is previously seen by the driver of the other, and then possibly too late to pull up to prevent accident; and one must of necessity go back. The view of the road by this alteration will be effectually stopped for the space of forty yards.
— Hampshire Telegraph, Monday 15 June, 1829 source