GENERAL TERRAIN FEATURES AND STATUS OF MAJOR ROADS IN LAOTIAN PAN-HANDLE WEST OF DMZ

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78T02095R000800040034-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 7, 2002
• Sequence Number: 34
• Publication Date: May 24, 1968
• Content Type: MEMO

25X1A
Approved For ReleitSe21/"
.19-02 R'418
LI V'ta Bi
?.,_ r,
(SAVA)
008000400r144
2t;ay 1963
TaWall: Oder,. Special Advir= ror Vietnamese Affaire (SAVA)
Chief, Internstional Research. Area, OZA .
Chief, International Services Division, CER
MOM Chief, Construction Branch, GER
StaSZCT: General Terrain Features and Status of Major Roads in Laotian Tea-
handle West of DMZ
1. In general, this .section of 'the Laotian Panhandle consists or Jurzie-
coveiva karat hills and narrow meanderinz river valleys, which cradually widen
the rive -in veawarda Uto aeaveinne.h -covered
Tho composition of the soil in this area is basically sandy-silt arid
si1ty-c1a71 vasheA oft. the higher terrain over the cent/arias by the perennial
mnsoona. The xeil layers in the hizher elevations and in thent Cie Pezla
oxen averan l'oet deep, but apths of 6-20 feet- aro cafsmon in, the valleys.
S.:,k1th
or rtoata 9, the soil ia a conglomeration of tilt:p..1mnd., silt, and
clay. Thin particular cowehition ba i Letter loadhearina cspaility thm.
the toil in the valleys farther north. Each year the enemy attempts :to alle-
viate troublespots in the: roed. scatiene traversing the lowlands by building
7aypanses through hishar terrain., realigning some sections, and reconstruotina
%nose sections that cannot be nvoiacd.
3. Followina is A brief description or the War roads.
a) 1.1.22,21 This roat is in good condition although most of the old
vortiona that had been asphalted are now only cruahed or packed
rock with en application of bitAminous materiala. The road is at
least 12-16 feet wide, with occagimal wi4er sections. The road
has a Good all-weather Capability.
lizit..222?:. This roe a section between Routes 23 ana 912 is fairly.
straight but traverres a relatively low candy Arca Which presents
serious 2-any season problems. Moat of the roadway in 10-12 feet
wide, but a few sections are wide enol2..1h. to accomoate two way
traffic. A few portions are CO Z07 fOr limited wet-venthor
traffic.
The portion or out 911 between Routes 912 and 9,
however., is narrow with sharp carves. This section trnverses
hUher terrain and the better-x.011 conditions provides a Food,
sometimes atonyt road cArraeo. Deno* jungle bidos =oh or the
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roabea from eerisi observation. la additiono zany short '4ypaseea
perelit zovenant around.froquently interdicted sectione.
Em12_912: Thin mountainous road was well countructed in 1956 and
bee good eroslee ax a draintge. Some of the road in the hither ter-
rain near the border has been eurfeced with gravel, -while other
sections have been corduroyed. .There are several straight
stretthen near the North Vietnamese border. Portions of oz
have been widened to 20 feet or more; the remainder- is some 10-12
Leet.
Routtn 92 and q22: These routes ere improved dirt roads opproxil.
mntely 10 feet wide. .Boute 92- running in a general north-synth
direttion passes -throe:zit stony hills covered with dense jungle.
Boute 922 nerxr the South Vietnamese border traVersee throozh an
se ofopen, hilly terrain. Parts of toute 922 have been
torduroyea end. strenAthened by pierced-steel#plankin torn from
abandoned airfields in the. A Sbaultailer,f,, .Due to the Wily terrain
thero are few straidht stretches of roods on- either route.
ube: Each year this road west of its jutetion with Uoute 911
surfers extensive flooding during there-icy ee.son beeause it
trevernes a-particularly low region. The 'anew it dontinualy
constructing .4peenes throulTh higher terrain, but these bypasees
usually contain sharp eurves amt switchbacks.
This general arca is an open savannah piA4n which is
no longer heavily used by the enemy for the novesant of= and
eupplies southward to South Viet:ors. .
25X1A
Dietribution: (S-2733)
Orig. 84 1 - Addressee
1 - Chief, MVA
1 - DD/OER
1 - ST/C$
2. 5X1A 1 - Ch/IRA
1 - ClaiDAS
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Approved For Release 2002/01/29 : CIA-RDP78T02095R000800040034-1