GENERAL INFORMATION ON ROADS AND BRIDGES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00047R000300010007-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 17, 2013
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: May 22, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

1/9/...0 .-7A1111111r
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release n 50-Yr2013/04/17 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000300010007-9
CLASSi I- ILA I ION LitAirlaraff.1:11.1.14,-..-",,n-......, -??????. ---
CfNTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
DiOANIM
COUNTRY Poland
SUBJECT General Information on Roads and Bridges
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE
AC.9U I R EC
DATE OF
TOTS 0000MENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTINO THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
OF TNT UNITOD STATES, W1TNIN THE MISANINS OF CCCCC IS, SECTIONS 793
AND 764, NI TNT U.S. CODE, AS AMENDED. ITS CCCCCC 169100 ON RAVE.
LATION OF ITS CONTENTS TO OR RECEIPT ST AN UNAUTHORISED PERSON IS
PADHIMITED NY LAS. THE REPRODUCTION OF THIS FONN IS POOH TTTTT D.
DATE DISTR. A May 1953
NO. OF PAGES 4 50X1
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
50X1
50X1
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
50X1
1. Administratively, all roads in Poland are divided into the, following categories:
(1) State
(2) Wojewodztwo
(3) Powiat
(4) Gmina (Township)
2. State roads connect Warsaw with cities designated as wojewodztwo cities and with
main highway and main highway arteries running into adjacent countries. Surfaces
are improved (asphalt, stone paving blocks, clinkers). Surface width, on an
average, is 7.50 meters and shoulder width is 1.5 to 2.0 meters on each side.
Embsnkment width is 12 meters, and grade is 3 to 8 per cent. Horizontal curvature
with a minimum of 300 meters, permits a traveling speed of 85 kilometers per hour.
3. Wojewodztwo roads connect wojewodztwo cities with other wojewodztwo cities and
with the more important powiat cities. Most of these roads are hard-surfaced
roads on solid stone foundation. It is difficult to state the condition of
surfaces inasmuch as conditions change from year to year. Width of the roadway
is from 5.5 to 6.5 meters; width of embankment 'sane meters; grade is four to 10
per cent; horizontal curvatures in most cases are 150 meters. During the
? German occupation, a number of the wojewodztwo roads running from east to west
were widened to 7.5 meters, and the surfaces were improved with tar and dolomite
or hard-limestone chips.
Powiat and gmina roads are either concrete or improved dirt roads depending upon
local conditions and requirements. Generally speaking, the condition of these
two categories of roads becomes worse from west to east. Minimum width of such
roadways is five- Meters;Hgradea are six:to 12 perteent;.,width of etbankments is
7.5 meters.
CLASSIFICATION COMIDENtAL/SECURITY =FORMATION
DISTRIBUTION
r
ORR EV
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/04/17 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000300010007-9
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/04/17 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000300010007-9
CONFIDENTIAL/SECURITY INFORMATION
- 2 -
.5. A typical cross section of a highway from the surface downward would include
a layer of rolled crushed stone forming a bard surface of 14 to 18 centimeters
deep, followed by 18 to 22 centimeters of a stone foundation, on top of 18 to
20 centimeters of sand or gravel. Some surfaces had another top layer of stone
paving-block 8 to 11 cm thick, or a two-layer asphalt cover four cm and two cm
thick; or concrete slabs 12 to 18 cm thick. When one of the latter three surfaces
was used the crushed stone layer immediately beneath it was kept at eight to
10 cm rather than 14 to 18 cm as described previously.
6. From a technical standpoint (capacity, load capacity, visibility, etc), roads
are divided into three classes:
(a) Class I, includes state roads and better wojewodztwo roads
(b) Class II, includes wojewodztwo roads
(9 Class III' includes all other roads with improved surfaces.
7. Today, it is difficult to establish the load capacity of individual roads
because of the destruction of bridges during World War II. In eaoh.case, however,
load capacity of bridges on Class I roads can be established as 40 tons
(40,000 kilograms), distributed according to the following sketch:
.5:
goo()
V.
oo
measurements in meters
The above also covers Class II roads running in an east and west direction 50X1
.
During the summer, roads are accessible to all vehicles. If the surface is
not improved, however, there is the problem of laying dust. During the winter,
it is necessary to place snow fences running parallel to the road in certain
sectors, oth7ise_snow must be removed from the road. During the period from
1940'to 1942 sectors of the Warsaw-Krakow road covered with snow two to
three meters deep. In such,caseefAt becomes_necessary-to use the help of a
permanent highway service which knows where drift areas are. As a.general rule,
sectors of roads lying on banks lower than l meters and shallow, areas are
subject to snow drifts. So-called spring fissures occur on most of the
wojewodztwo roads during the spring. This is common also to most of the powiat
roads. Spring fissures result from cracking of road surfaces by freezing of
foUndations occasioned by poor drainage.
9. During the spring (especially in March), heavy vehicular traffic could cause
complete destruction of road surfaces. In case of necessity, mats of straw
or thin dry twigs are used to maintain heavy traffic over damaged susceptible
areas3 those areas are well known to the highway service. The battle with
spring fissures.. is almost hopeless once they have started. Their prevention
depends upon the installation of stone drains, and drainage of water from Utliaer
the surface* this requires major repairs in some sectors.
10. There is a shortage in highway equipment resulting from loss of equipment to
retreating German armies. The remainder of equipment, furthermore, was shipped
into the USSR. The shortage of road rollers is especially felt. There are
also certain difficulties in, procuring stone materials. koland has no stone
quarries in the area north of the Pince River and east of the Vistula River.
Limestone and sandstone found in the Kielce stone quarry can be used with good
results as foundations and in many cases as surfaces if used with tar. A method
used by the German army during its troop movements produced good results. By
this method the top layer of rolled surface was increased with a layer of
CONFIDENTIAL/SECURITY- INFORMATION
pgr.??,, rr
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/04/17 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000300010007-9
,
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/04/17 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000300010007-9
CONFIDENTIAL/SECURITY INFORMATION
- 3 -
50X1
crushed stone about four to 10 centimeters in thickness (limestone of average
hardness); openings were filled and closed with sand and large amounts of
water and left for .a period of 1 to li months. The surface was then cleaned
with steel brushes and sprayed with 2 to 24 kilograms of gas works tar which
was stabilized with an immediate covering of hard limestone chips using eight to
12 kilograms per square meter of surface. This type of surface is -Very
renistant to heavy traffic at high speed during the first year. In the follow-
ing year, it is necessary to apply 4 to one kilogram of tar and 8 to 10 kilograms
of chips. The speed at which the work can be done must be emphasized p Acrew
of about 30 with two rciad tonere, (eight,lons enkfive tons) roll 500 to 600 linear
meters of surface with a width of 7.5 meters daily, Tarring depends only on
the speed of transportation and heating of tar. The cost is low and trained
workers are not needed. Thus, local manpower can be utilized.
Bridges
11. Highway bridges in Poland, as in all of Europe, were planned according to
circumstances. Spans were determined from studies of the minimum and maximum
flow of water, excluding floods. Studies were based on annual records of
water flow, statements-of witnesses, and study of the condition of terrain
features. With the exception of bridges over mountainous streams where the
study of water flow was difficult, damages or destruction in practice did not
occur. An excellent example of destruction where bridge-construction accompanied
unfamiliarity with local conditions was the disaster of a hi$hway bridge over the
Vistula River near Sandomierz. This bridge was built by the German army in the
Minter of 1939 directly after the close of the war in Poland (the original steel
bridge was destroyed by the retreating Polish army). The reconstructed bridge
was destroyed during the Spring ice break in 1940, and highway transportation
was cut off for a long period of,time.
12. Because of terrain features and the, lowland character of rivers, steel two-girder
truss-bridges were used commonly-chiefly with a lower roadway.
13. On powiat and gmina roads, wooden bridges are most frequently of the trapoidzoid-
braced, or girder design.
CONFIDENTIAL/SECURITY INFORMATION
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/04/17 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000300010007-9
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/04/17 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000300016667-9
CONFIDENTIAL/SECURITY INFORMATION
- 4 -
14. Special attention should be given to wooden bridges because they are ideal
temporary structutes, because of the availability of wood, and because of a
large number of experienced carpenters.
possibility of us ng m ry ?r dges.
oncrete and reinforced concrete bridges as being unsuita ale in
transitory conditions. They are destroyed easily, difficult to repair, and
require a long time to be repaired.
15. Standard wood used for bridges is pine and fir in 18 x 24-centimeter beams.
Beams of these measurements are plentiful in the forests, and they can be used
in their natural state. To attain a greater load capacity, beats are connected
with oak wedges and pegs.
50X1
50X1
50X1
16. The roadway is covered with underplanks (pine, fir), eight to 12 centimeters thick
and with top planks, four to siZeentimeters (cdmmonly Of oak).
17. Width of the bridge depends on the width of the road (surface).
18. Pile supports are of wood (pine), with a diameter of 30 to 35 centimeters. The
length depends upon requirements, eight to I5,meterd; The VOsitictt :of the girders
corresponds, on an average, to the position of the piles. The average load'
capacity of a pile, 30 centimeters in diameter, is 30 tons (30,000 kilograms),
Piles are driven in with steam rams and in emergency cases, by hand.
- end -
CONFIDENTIAL/SECURITY INFORMATION
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/04/17 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000300010007-9
;Pr
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/04/17 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000300010007-9
CLASSIFICATION SECRET/SiCURITY INFO
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
COUNTRY USSR
SUBJECT Personal Traits of Niktta $ Khrushehey
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE
ACQUIRE
DATE OF I
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATTeNAl DEPENDS
OF THE UNITED 'TOTES, MITNIN THE MEANING OF TITLE IS, SECTION! 793
44,3 794, or THE U.S. CONE, Cs AMENDED. ITS TRANSE155100 00 TIDE'
LOTION or fis CONTENTS TOO! RECEIPT ay AN UHAUTNURITEO PERSON IS
PROMIIITED ST LAW. THE REPRoDUCTION OF THIS FORM IS PROHISITED.
DATE DISTR. lay 195
NO OF PAGES 2 50X1
NO, OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO 50X1
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
50X1
1. In 1935,
2.
3.
Nikita Serge-
a cbarge f .he Mo o uit Party Committee.
In 1933, Sergey I Balashev bseame an unwitting and reluctant "saboteur".
At that time, he was in charge of construction of an apartment house in
Moscow. Against h:e better ludgment, be was ordered to employ new con-
50X1
struction method
the foundation to the building VILE laid in the a CO 'ow
winter. Not surprisingly, the building cracked during the spring thaws.
Balashev was charged with lack of vigilance and was senteneed to forced
4bor. Because of his technical ability, this sentence meant -that, for
the term of his sentence he received very 50X1
little pay and was more restricted in his personal freedom.
50X1
In 1935 or thereabouts, Balasbev was in charge of construction of a building
materials plant in Moscow. Because of the large construction program for
Moscow adopted in 1935, this project was considered very important by the
authorities. Nikita S Khrushehev? whose Party career is closely tied up
With the huge building program in Moscow, made daily inspections of the
plant project and maintained close personal contact with Balashev. Although
Khrushchev knew about Baleshev's "crime", be behaved iu a very frank and
polite, not to say friendly, manner. In addition to being very agreeable
as far as his supervision of the job was concerned, Kbrushehev even extended
some private help to Bealashev? a very courageous and unusual thing for him to dc
for a convicted ex-capitalist. According to Balashev,
Kbrushebev's behavior was in keen-
50X1
lug with his character.
CLASSIFICATION SECRET/SECURITY IMF ORMATION
50X1
DISTRIBUTION
State EV
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/04/17 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000300010007-9
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @50-Yr2013/04/17 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000300010007-9
SECRET/SECURITY IVFORMATION
- 2 -
50X1
During World War II, Khrushchev displayed a similarly kind and simple atti-
tude to a problem which would have been handled. far differently by many
another Soviet leader. In March 1.943, Soviet Army troops reoccupied the
city of Kharkov for a short period, perhaps two to three weeks. At that
time, Khrushchev was the highest ranking Soviet official Who moved back
into the city. He convoked a meeting of all performing artists at the
opera and the theaters. Understandably; these people vent to the meeting
reluctantly and were generally afraid because practically all had performed
for the Germans during their occupation of the city. To their surprise $50X1
Khrushchev did not attempt to hold them to task for their "collaboration
tr+h +hAriemv" but rather wave them-a rather general pep talk.
In general Khrushchev had a fairly good reputation in the Ukraine. His
predecessor as chairman of the Ukrainian Party, ?cstvchev, was known as en
emissary of Stalin Who had been responsible for the death of zany Ukrainian
nationalists and the imprisonment and deportation of many others. By con-
trast, Khrushnhev was considered rather gentle and, rightly or wrongly')
more independent of MOCOW?lthough he obviously held his position in the
Ukraine with the approval of the highest Party functioaaries in Moscow.
- end -
SECRET/SECURITY INFORMATION
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/04/17 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000300010007-9