THE SOFIA-VRATSA ROADS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R015400360003-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 15, 2011
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: December 17, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/02/15: CIA-RDP82-00457RO15400360003-3
FEB 1952 O1-4A
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
SECRET/CONTROL - U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY
SECURITY INFORMATION
CD NO.
INFORMATION REPORT REPORT
COUNTRY Bulgaria DATE DISTR. 17 December 1952
SUBJECT The Sofia-.Vr?atsa Roads
DATE OF
INFO.
PLACE
ACQUIRE
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
OF THE UNITED STATES, WITHIN THE MEANING OF TITLE 18, SECTIONS 793
AND 794, OF THE U.S. CODE, AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR REVE-
LATION OF ITS CONTENTS TO OR RECEIPT BY AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON IS
PROHIBITED BY LAW. THE REPRODUCTION OF THIS FORM 15 PROHIBITED.
NO. OF PAGES
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
1. The quickest route and the best-surfacced road between Sofia and Vratsa has been
the road which branches northeastward from the Sofia-Pirdop'Karlovo highway three
'pkilometers east of Dolni, Bogrov and passes through Yana, Potop9 Botevgrad,s and
Me -0d', a.
2. in, alternative route leads northward along the Isle River through Svoge and
Gara Lakatz'utk. The KIImmaritsa-Gary Lakat- ik section of this road had been largely
built by 1945 and is now an e:rcellent motor road which has only gentle uphill
stretches and easy be:ods even though it is by no mean., level. The road is
generally five meters wide and has a packed and rolled surface of earth and
cranked stone whicsh is firm~ g it least in dry weather. It is free from pot-holes
which suggests tt ma:i.rtez:W :: work has been carried out, since the road was first
laid down. The road meets the Isk " River at Kirilo and runs along the west
bank as far as the big river bend immediately south of Rebravo where it crosses
to the east ba nk~ it recrosses to the west bank just south of Svoge and continues
on t. ae west bank to Gara Lakatnik. Masonry arch bridges and culverts span, the
streams which flew down the steep bills into the I.skzr River. It is estimated
that all bridges on this section are capable of carrying loads of at least 15
tons and probably a great deal more.
3 Generally speakir.g., the single-track railway line along the Isk. r valley is
located on the opposite bank from the road,, that is,, mostly along the east
ba k. At Svoge., where the railroad and road are both on the west bank for a
distanc;a3 the road. nnarr wws and deteriorates at or near the level crossing in
the tiUage and doe ng t regain its normal quality u:Inta.l it reaches the bridge
ac rocs the river south of Svoge^.
A direct route between Gara Lakatx,ik and Vratsa has been in existence for many
years, but e, ~_roept for the first 10 kilometers which are now well constructed and
have very passable bends, the road is moiav:s*,aino .s,9 narrow (in some places not
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50X1-HUM
more than seven feet wide)., and strewn with rocks all the way into Pratsa. It
is possible to travel the road in private cars, but :i.s dangerous when the weather
is misty and the visibility bail.. The road is impassable during the winter, from
December to March.
The old cart track along the Isk~r River between Gara Lakatnik and Mezdra has
now been converted into a good motor road and will presumably soon be opened for
traffic. It appears that there will be two entrances to this road at Rebarkovo--
one from the Botevgrad.Rebarkovo-Mezdra road approximately ore. kilometer west of
Rebarkovo and the other f; oM the Botevgrad-Mezdra road a hundred yards west of
Rebarkovo, Neither junction was ready for use as of early October.
An entirely new stretch of road is being laid at the eastern exit from Rebarkovo
toward Mezdra. Road work in that area now extends over approximately two kilo-
meters.
The sketch included in this report as an appendix shows the general location of
the roads described above.
50X1-HUM
ommenta: The greater part.of the area, under discussion in this reort
is or i en`d forei era
is e that his road is of
some strategic Importance because is he only north-south road through weitori
Bulgaria which does not have to negotiate a fairly high pans.
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50X1-HUM
SECRET/CONTROL - U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY
-3-
APPENDIL: THE SOFIA-VRATSA ROADS,
To Pirdop
Bogrov
SCALE a 1:250,000
SECRET/CONTROL U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/02/15: CIA-RDP82-00457RO15400360003-3