Page:CIA-RDP01-00707R000200070025-1.pdf/12

 APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200070025-1

''FIGURE 2. Szczecin-Warsaw highway, typical of many national routes. (C)''

stone, or earth surfaces and widths as narrow as 10 feet. Shoulder widths range from 3 to 9 feet but are almost nonexistent on local roads. Except for some sharp curves and steep grades in the south along the Carpathian and Sudeten mountain ranges, alignments are good and gradients moderate.

The highway net has an estimated 17,100 bridges, more than half of which are timber structures less than 250 feet long. Bridges on the more important routes are of steel, concrete (reinforced or prestressed), or masonry construction. With the exception of timber structures, most bridges are in good condition and are of at least 33-ton capacity. Timber bridges are generally restricted to 10 tons; many of these are gradually being replaced by modern steel or concrete bridges. The only known highway tunnel is a 643-foot structure located within the Warsaw city limits. The single major ferry on the network is on the east-west route from Swinoujscie to the East Germany border.

Traffic is impeded by the effects of adverse weather conditions in mountainous and estuary areas, by narrow streets in cities and villages, by numerous sharp curves and steep grades in southern Poland, and by slow-moving horse-drawn vehicles on local roads. Bypasses have been built around several of the larger cities and towns to help reduce urban traffic congestion.

Highway construction and maintenance activities are administered by the Ministry of Transportation through the Central Administration of Public Works. Highway transport is also operated by the State Motor Transport (PKS), also under the Ministry of Transportation, and by the socialized industries and farm cooperatives. The PKS is gradually absorbing these latter categories into a centrally controlled organization in an effort to improve efficiency. The major operating problems facing the motor transport industry are a shortage of spare parts and inadequate repair facilities.

Containerization in Poland has been developing at a relatively slow pace. Currently, container usage is limited mostly to small shipments over short distances. This situation is due primarily to the inability of the road surfaces to withstand heavy axle loads, the maximum load-bearing capacity on main routes being 8 tons per single axle. The Jelcz Motor Vehicle Plant has recently produced the 8-ton Jelcz 316 truck (Figure 3), which the government hopes will help stimulate long-haul container shipments.

As of June 1970 registered Polish vehicles totaled an estimated 747,550 (454,900 passenger cars, 259,050 trucks, and 33,600 buses). In addition, there were approximately 1.8 million motorcycles. Although Poland produces passenger cars, the automobile industry has been incapable of meeting the country's demands and must rely on imports to some degree. The government is taking great strides to improve the vehicle industry and is predicting that the yearly rate

''FIGURE 3. Jelcz 316 truck and trailer. This new-model vehicle produced by Poland was designed especially for container traffic. (U/OU)''

6

APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200070025-1