Saturday, February 21, 2015

THE ROAD TO DUONG SON (2)--1965//PART 2


TO COMMO FROM JC SUBJ ROAD CONST BLACKBOX MSR


FOLLOWUP FROM 3RD ENG BN ROADWORK; OCT 1965






..(c.) 3/9 MSR (SONG CAU DO Bridge (AT998703) to YEN NE # 1 (AT988663). During the last week of September permission was received to develop the existing railroad bed for use as the 3/9 MSR to replace a lower adjacent road which was subject to flooding.




Work continued throughout October in lifting and stacking the rails and crossties near the SONG CAU DO River in accordance with agreements with RR officials.
  On 9 October, an M-6 bridge was erected at (AT999699) by 1st Bridge Co, 7th Engr Bn. The abutments and approaches were prepared and two spans of the old bridge were dropped by personnel of the 3rd Plt, Co "C", 3rd Engr Bn. By 12 October, 3 additional bridges on the railroad bed were reinforced and widened between the M6 bridge site and DUONG SON # 2 (AT991677). By 12 October, the MSR was open to Class 60 traffic to YEN NE #1 (AT988687).
On 13 October, personnel of the 3rd Plt, Co "C" moved their base of operations from DUONG SON # 1 (AT995687) to YEN NE # 1in preparation for improving the lateral route from YEN NE # 1 to the dam on the SONG YEN River at (AT960659). The heavy rains starting on 14 October made any work on the lateral route impractical since the road was completely flooded. (On 20 October it was noted that the deck of a small bridge at (AT971661) was under 4 feet of water.


TO COMMO FROM JC SUBJ ROAD CONST BLACKBOX MSR