ROAD AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS LINE U/C NORTH VIETNAM/LAOS BORDER AREA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79-00849A001200050002-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 14, 2006
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: March 25, 1968
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2006GONfI1NM9-00849A001200050002-4
(c) NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION CENTER
I
ATTACHMENT TO L-)+950 (3/68)
25 MARCH 1968
PAGE 1
ROAD AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS LINE U/C
NORTH VIETNAM/LAOS BORDER AREA
17O2N 1o633E
1. SIGNIFICANCE:
THIS BOARD DEPICTS MAJOR ROAD AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS LINE CONSTRUCTION
IN SUPPORT OF THE KHE/SANH AND A SHAU VALLEY AREA.
2. LOCATION:
THE ROAD AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS LINE U/C ARE LOCATED ON THE NORTH VIETNAM/
LAOS BORDER AREA, SOUTH OF DONG HOI, NORTH VIETNAM.
3. MISSION READOUT:
RAPID NORTH VIETNAMESE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW MAJOR LOGISTICS ROUTE AND TELE-
COMMUNICATIONS LINE, BOTH EXTENDING SOUTHWEST FROM THE DONG HOI AREA OF NORTH
VIETNAM TOWARD THE DEMILITARIZED ZONE (DMZ).
THE NEW 16 NM ROAD SEGMENT UNDER CONSTRUCTION EXTENDS FROM THE EXISTING
NORTH VIETNAMESE ROAD NETWORK, WEST OF LAKE LOC XA, AT 1711N 1o638E, PROCEEDS
GENERALLY SOUTH-SOUTHWEST (SEE INSET 1) TO THE PRESENT CONSTRUCTION TERMINUS
AT 1702N 1o633E, TWO NM FROM THE NORTH VIETNAM/LAOS BORDER AND 8.5 NM NORTH
OF THE NORTHWEST TIP OF SOUTH VIETNAM. APPROXIMATELY 13 NM OF THE ROAD ARE
PRESENTLY SERVICEABLE. MOST OF THE ROAD WAS CONSTRUCTED BETWEEN 6 JANUARY
1968, AND 8 MARCH 1968, AND EVIDENCES THE USE OF MECHANIZED CONSTRUCTION EQUIP-
MENT. TRUCK PARKS (ONE DEPICTED) AND NUMEROUS SMALL SUSPECT CONSTRUCTION
These notes have been prepared for briefing purposes only and should not be used for detailed analytical work. Their use
should be restricted to the particular briefing board(s) they were prepared for and must be considered valid only for the re-
porting period as indicated by the date of issue. For information concerning these notes contact Chief, Collateral Support
Division, NPIC.
GROUP I
E.clvd.d from c
dawngr.dinq .nd d.cl..Apip
Release 200060lDc . 1170 00840A004200-
FGF
Declassification Review by NGA
050002-4
 Approved For Release 20a?@N flD 79-00849A001200050002-4
ATTACHMENT TO L-4950 (3/68)
25 MARCH 1968
PAGE 2
CAMPS CONSTITUTE SUPPORT FACILITIES.
THE NEWLY OBSERVED, OPEN-WIRE, TELECOMMUNICATIONS TRACE UNDER CONSTRUCTION
GENERALLY PARALLELS AND ENHANCES THE VALUE OF THE NEW ROAD. A VISIBLE, THREE
NM GAP SEPARATES THE NORTHERN END OF THIS TRACE FROM THE PREVIOUSLY EXISTING
NORTH VIETNAM BRANCH LINE 4A. THE NEW TRACE EXTENDS INTERMITTENTLY SOUTH
SOUTHWEST AND CROSSES THE NORTH VIETNAM/LAOS BORDER APPROXIMATELY TWO NM NORTH
OF THE DMZ AT 1656N 1o633E. FROM THIS POINT, IT IS DESIGNATED AS PART OF LAOS
SOUTH VIETNAM LINE 1 AND EXTENDS GENERALLY SOUTH TO THE SEBANG HIANG (RIVER)
(SEE INSET 2), IT THEN CROSSES AND GENERALLY PARALLELS THE RIVER UNTIL REACHING
THE PREVIOUSLY REPORTED (NPIC/R-4668) TERMINUS OF LAOS/SOUTH VIETNAM LINE 1
AT 1649N 1o619E (SEE GRAPHIC). THIS LINE, WHEN COMPLETE, WILL PROVIDE OPEN-
WIRE TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICE FROM THE NORTH VIETNAMESE TELECOMMUNICATIONS
NETWORK ON LINE 4 AT 1717N 10638E TO THE KHE SANH/A SHAU VALLEY AREA OF SOUTH
VIETNAM-
4. REMARKS:
THE NEW ROAD, CONSTRUCTED THROUGH SOME OF THE MOST DIFFICULT MOUNTAINOUS
TERRAIN IN NORTH VIETNAM, COULD EVENTUALLY PROVIDE (AS SHOWN BY THE COMPARABLE
ROUTE 137/912) A NEW ALL WEATHER, MAJOR LOGISTICS ROUTE FROM NORTH VIETNAM TO
ROADS NOW SERVING COMMUNIST FORCES THREATENING THE U.S. MARINE BASE AT KHE
SANH IN SOUTH VIETNAM2
These notes have been prepared for briefing purposes only and should not be used for detailed analytical work. Their use
should be restricted to the particular briefing board(s) they were prepared for and must be considered valid only for the re-
porting period as indicated by the date of issue. For information concerning these notes contact Chief, Collateral Support
Division, NPIC.
Approved Fnr RpllpaCp 2nQnAWMT"7a-nnRaannn12nn050002-4
 25X1 Approved For Release 2006/02/27 : CIA-RDP79-00849AO01200050002-4
Approved For Release 2006/02/27 : CIA-RDP79-00849AO01200050002-4
 25X1
Approved For Release7& -79-00849A001200050002-4
ROAD AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS LINE UNDER CONSTRUCTION
DONG HOI AREA, NORTH VIETNAM 25X1
17-02N 106-33E
9ouiE ,
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
TRACE ALIGNMENT
LA/VS LINE 2
IROUTE
PREVIOUSLY EXISTING ROAD
--- ROAD UNDER CONSTRUCTION
- -?- PREVIOUSLY REPORTED TELECOMMUNICATIONS LINE
---- TELECOMMUNICATIONS LINE CONSTRUCTION
............. POSSIBLE TELECOMMUNICATIONS LINE ALIGNMENT
mWo
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
TRACE ALIGNMENT
NPIC L.4950 13/681
ROUTE
1131
NVN BRANCH LINE 4A
LA/VS LINE 2A
SHAD VALLEY 12NM