DATA ON SINKING ROADS/ TRAVEL TIME/ ROAD MARKERS/ USE OF ROADS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000500090060-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 13, 2013
• Sequence Number: 60
• Publication Date: June 24, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/03/14: CIA-RDP80-00809A000500090060-3
E
ay.
cz: ..951 31"a
COUNTRY
SUBJECT
Cat na (Sinkiang)
Data an Sinkiang
Dee of Roads
U.S. Officials Only
CONFIDnITILL
IhFca.uTic%
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
ALlettlIMMA aira"as
mu %Annum I Nun smr-un I
Baads/TrsveL Tina/Road Marksra/
REPORT
50X1 -HUM'.
,
PLACE ACtli fern
50X1 -HUM
nATC Ar.t.tor
DATE (or INro.)
DATE DISTR. AT JUDD. 53
NO.
OF PAGES
4
?It?
i
tilat
4a 15?? ? ? it
.?? at ?? ea.. IS /et
Si ,?11 ..
???? ..5?1??..?
s.I II. SIC, NS se
.1. tee, Ii
5
.5
?.5 ?.LaLa..ILa ?? el e?
NO.
OF ZNCLS.
Si .?I co ......
le s? ?ect,?? S.
lie Pm.. 15
Nis IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
SuPP.
REPORT
1. After Governor Agegg Shibp.tsai booms Governor of Ain.ang the Gimlets
Wad hia in eabsrkine on an enteasive road building pr sat faailitate their
esploitation of tic ainaralprioh area. This road bU.4.tac oontiased after
the Soviets and Governor Ghana were ousted from Ainkians
2,
50X1 -HUM
50X1 -HUM
Although the road betwesn Chuguchak (Tahohasg) and Wusu ia a main artari
between these two points, It is not a shosse (graded and meaulasix 4 high?a7).
The cart road hetioAAr. Tu:Lw1 (Pulanteal) and Sharsauss
(Changhwe) wan 7aing S.:proved to unable trunks to traverse it. 50X1 -HUM
The cart rondo between Beinhanto and Menem; (Sulial) and Ealun Tokhoi and
Kuchangtzo (Kitai) were abandonad and way uned by an oocaaional nomadic
hardassm in moving hla cattle to and from winter panteren in the south.
The me.im northezn eant-weL,t cnt..sae in Sinkiang :Aorta at Khorgos in the USSR
and Ramses through the following towns: Suiting, Santa1, Tsingho, Wuau,
Urusinhi (Tia), Turf en, Chikurting (Ta1klotaing), Ham1 (Qosul) and Singaingsia.
This chonce in about cigt meter vide all the vay from Suiting to Singaingaia.
(1)
The aecticn between Kuldja (Icing) and Kaorgoo In the USSR, which paaissea
through Suiting, in npkroximately two meters wider than the rest of the
phone?. Thin section of the ahoase is about 10 motors in width.
U.S. Officials Only
CONFIDENTIAL
` :,.17
%I ? ? o-X 77'6 ala
NMI Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/03/14: CIA-RDP80-00809A000500090060-3
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/03/14: CIA-RDP80-00809A000500090060-3
E
???11b
f.
ft.
(5)
co:al.DE3rILL,/us
- 2 -
The "secondary road" between Kuld.fa And Tsingho
is actually a winding -lountain trail that dia, (July
we urevelaa on horseback.
The northern alternate route between Uru-nchi and Hwni, which passes
through Suchengtze (Eitel), is no widely used because of the terrain
and colder climate.
The section betwesn Turfan avd Hari in a natural shoes*. A ahoese did
not have to be constructed between those two points because the surface
of this entire Arse le e'yeet.ed br hmrd or.tzt w: and pennies. Since
there is never any rain in this area the only thing that had to be done
was to renmme the few large rooks along this natural roadway. When
travelling along this section of the ahosso, the big problem was to keap
from straying off of the roadway. Along aos,t, of this election, the &ammo
follows telacranh costs. In mad.t4......
be constantly alert in watching for and following the tracks of other
vehicles.
50X1-HUM
50X1-HUM '
A 50 kilometer section ct this choose, betwcea Haul and Singairain, peones
through a series of sand dunes. When high winds arise, and they quite 50X1-HUM
frequently do in this area, semd ,ompletely carers portions of this
section of the shoos? and halts all traffic. Special crews are mt...124taisurd
in Haul for clearing off the ohosso whor this does occur.
The "secondary reed" leading in a southerly direction from Zuldja OJtLIt and
then wectward to the town of ;2rsheralsk in the Una was improved El 50X1-HUM
The maecondery reed" from eismrt, throagh MUsart
rase, south to Aqsu (Akonu) in reality is not a road but a treasherous horse
trail. It crosses many vast and steep glacial fields where stepef.or levels,
have been cut out of the Ice by centuries of travellers. Hare, the rider has
to even dismount and aid hia steed in traversing these ice fields.
s small mountain cattle trail tro.: ;arc 3nahr (Yenkl) lasdin; righ
throagh the Tien Shan Range in ft westerly direction to Masert and Jai the
USSR Is indicated as a "necondery road" bo
vehicle can poseibly follow this trail.
the Soviets l=nrcven the road stertinc at Irk hen nimia., --A
passing trough Xashger (Shufu), Iangi Shah:* (Shulah), Yerkand.(Sochs),
Qmrghsliq (rehnhang) and ocuth to the Keehmir border. The Soviet engineers
pttaahod to the Dorstroy (5irk4 ng kenCy) head4uartero
In Urunchi used to brag that they did an extra good job nn this shoese and
that it IA supalor to all others in Sinkiang. They clal.med to have shortened
the route and built it to handle ...chides of any wolEht.. They invariably
referred to it as a stretecic road which aight acze day prove useful to the
USSR iS a quick mllitarythrust into India boaci:.er recoasAry.
3. The 71njur highway roto i.t7.-anao.cr7 in
the followicz!
to .;had-ria:::v, via (Ft..rht.Li%)
...;harazuzu to Gitd.?:2, 714 Tok.hvi
to
.:arjakol, tc, khUdjrd, ?idzrirt
Khori;o:, :1:ZR, to E%Ild.i.a, yin
Suitin,.; to :Irtiwni,
Urlda.chl to Calicarlh,;, K.do:.,h,;tto
Ururichi to Onikurtin, vii rf.ar,
ChikurtLh?, to
::::,1mchi to via
Ac13.4 to rkedhto.4, via %,..,ra1ha.;11.1 (i'acnui and Kaahar
Lann,:ar to :iargnaliq, :Id .irk-.:j
44Arhaliq the KaaLdir i,order
QA/dhallo ;%hotaa (hotion)
Khotan to hurla (Kuerhlci), via Cheroho.hVt
C. and o. -re th, only r.otor rotIte:? that ar(, -at c.hoJac.1.;.
1
50X1-HUM
50X1-HUM
50X1-HUN
nprlaccifipri in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/03/14: CIA-RDP80-00809A000500090060-3
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/03/14: CIA-RDP80-00809A000500090060-3
4.
C 0 7. I DE:irr Llis/ CliT IC 'ILLS' 0:1Y/3 F.LC :C iQhTO
- 3 -
-tho average time that it takes to travel,
Cr? between the -major towns Sinkiang?
50X1-HLD
50X1-HUM
Khorgos, USSR to Kuldja
Zuldja to Wusu
Alva to Chucaohak
4usu to?Brumohi
Uruncil to Turfan
Turfs.= to Uzi
ma=i to Zintsella
3 hours
da?Yri
3 days
li dere
1 day
5 days
5. The volume of traffic: c..t all the main trade routes and shosses in 81=k4ang remains
about the same throughout the year. Most of 51nkle-g has an emtromely dry climete
effeetec by bile SOlOW18. Heavy enew or rain in the am-thorn
:actions of Sinkia=g is conaidered only a tenporary nuisance wnian was
account when the routes were chocen ana the shosses constructed. nous, snow or
rain nay claw down +-raffia, or oven temporarily halt it, but is never a *scrims
problem.
6. ill major roads and shorn highways in Simhiang were marked with either shsrt
wooden posts or large rooks. These road narkers, when within approximately two
kilometers of a town, were about 10 to 15 yards apart. Whereas, after that they
were spanad about on. kilometer apart. In places where telegraph pests ran along-
side of the roadway, they were used as narker*. The distanse to the neat town, or
villco, was patnted onto these road markers in arabic scripts The paint wend 1114
either red or bleak, depending on which color would chew ?op but on *soh individuel
marker.
? ?
7. The only Sang restriotion as to the um. of roads by different typos of vehicles
and ahinsle applied to the chooses, the maoadamised highways. These were for use
by motor vehinles only. All other roads in Sin:Lane art either cart reeds .to,
begin with, or (settle trails. The shoe sea had a narrow dirt road running along-
side, which wee for use by arbas (native carts), camels, mules, ishik (donkeys),
horses, oattle and nam. llovever, sines there were no patrols to =faros this
gavernmemt regulation and traffic on these highways is occ;parativaly light and
sporadic (tnere being no regular scheduled bus or truck traffic and %rue's& never
dezed tn JO on the soon road done, but trevelled in convoys for fear ef being
ambuahed and aleagbtsra by bandits), carts also -wow": Thew found
the rolled maoanumised surfing of the chooses much mere satisfactory than the
rutted dirt roads that were provided for their use. Binge all motor vehielee were
government awned, their arivers were required to enforce this reeulation. Therefore,
the cart drivers would use the shooes until they heard or saw mote: mehieles
approaching, they would than quickly swerve off of the ahem onto their read and
get back on after the =otor vehIclee passion out o' sight and hearing. IS a cart
vas caught an the choose, its driver was punished by e severe beating.
8. Cattle herds were never moved alatg napalms, or cart trails, because the ani=ala
recuired aoft grounn and pasturee to survive long treks. It will be a long time
before en4-411 -ransport in 54-ficiet,% is replaced by motor transport. The =ajar
reasons being tne lack of adequate roads because of the rugged terrain, the lack
of mctor vehicles and induetrial development, the economic ard cultural blckwerdnees
of the people who are atill lasioally nomadic, pastoral tribeanst that are
co_cpletely /Lupo:7 with their primitive ways.
9. 14 Sinkiang, wne% a road crosLes a deep stream, a very eimple and primitive bridge
is conntrIcted. trot, tze :,anka of the stream are adt, away and a log placed on
either side of the strs,am. Then thiek wooden logs are placed, side by aide,
aoroas the ctream, resting on he lows that were placed on both banks. It Is
calcaleted co tnat the top of thi, wooden bridge !a about four to six inchea below
the level of the roan. The logs are then covered over with a mixture of nud ,ravel
and traw. :f the span is too t:-...eat for the size of the logo, 'Ilan logs are placed
r; cr. -,gar TAL,/ us o-r-i 02, "LA-; o
? Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/03/14 : CIA-RDP80-00809A000500ognmn_
/-
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/03/14: CIA-RDP80-00809A000500090060-3
co:num:cal./us oFFICIALS ONLYANCU3ITY.123ORMILTiON
- 4 -
? under the bridge far additionel onpport. Beemuswthe OLimate in nmetports of .
ii 17 7p th aridces never tes rat it Alt lamoot all
stream and river beds in Sinkiang are flat firm and coppletely oovered with
plobblwai-sionr.of themers.oroesedorLthout the use of bridges. The average
wommtain sixes:elm 841.0,42Ng is fast and the depth of the water is about two
meters. Thar banks are steep and five to al:rotators high.. The two largest
rivers in northernftakiagg, the Ili and-Ihara Irtish Rivera, an. also extremely-
fast, their beds are flat end covered with pebbles and their baakm are from ems
to ten asters high.
end -
I
CONFIDEXTIA/US OFFICIALS MY/SEM:MITT IHMILMiTION
L L
50X1 -HUM
w Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/03/14: CIA-RDP80-00809A000500090060-3