NEW ROADS, GRADING AND TERRACING AT E-1 POLICE

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 000867 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NEA/IPA FOR WILLIAMS/SHAMPAINE/BELGRADE; NSC FOR ABRAMS/WATERS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/10/2017 TAGS: PREL KWBG PBTS KHUM KPAL IS SUBJECT: NEW ROADS, GRADING AND TERRACING AT E-1 POLICE STATION REF: JERUSALEM 649 CLASSIFIED BY: CONSUL GENERAL JAKE WALLES, PER REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: POLOFF OBSERVED MAY 10 THAT CONSTRUCTION IN THE E-1 AREA BETWEEN MA'ALE ADUMIM AND JERUSALEM HAS CONTINUED AT A HEIGHTENED PACE SINCE POLOFF'S APRIL 27 VISIT. SUBSTANTIAL ROADWORK HAS BEGUN, TWO NEW AREAS HAVE BEEN GRADED, AND ONE NEW AREA HAS BEEN TERRACED. (NOTE: PHOTOS SENT TO NEA-IPA AND EMBASSY TEL AVIV. END NOTE.) END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) GRADING OF THE AREA ADJACENT TO THE ISRAELI POLICE HEADQUARTERS CONTINUES IN THE E-1 AREA BETWEEN MAALE ADUMIM AND JERUSALEM. ON MAY 10, POLOFF OBSERVED SUBSTANTIAL GRADING IN TWO AREAS ADJACENT TO THE LARGE GRADED AREA SOUTHWEST OF THE POLICE STATION. REBAR REINFORCING OF ONE GRADED AREA GROUND HAS BEEN COMPLETED. ¶3. (C) A NUMBER OF ROADS HAVE BEEN IMPROVED SINCE POLOFF'S APRIL 27 VISIT (REFTEL). THE MAIN ROAD FROM HIGHWAY 1 NOW FORKS INTO TWO MAJOR ROADS, ONE CURVING AROUND THE TOP OF THE HILL TO THE SOUTHWEST OF THE POLICE STATION AND THE OTHER CURVING DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THAT HILL. THE LOWER ROAD FORKS INTO THREE ROADS, WHICH LEAD TO THE THREE GRADED AREAS AND THE TERRACED AREA. (NB: THIS TERRACED AREAS WAS INITIALLY IDENTIFIED ON DECEMBER 6 BY A PALESTINIAN FOREMAN AS THE AREA INTENDED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF 600 RESIDENTIAL UNITS. END NOTE.) THE UPPER ROAD ALSO FORKS INTO THREE ROADS. ONE LEADS TO THE POLICE STATION; ONE LEADS TO THE LOWER GRADED AREAS AND AROUND THE NORTHEASTERN SLOPE OF THE HILL; AND ONE LEADS AROUND THE SOUTHEASTERN SLOPE BEHIND THE POLICE STATION. THE LATTER ROAD AROUND THE SOUTHEASTERN HILL FORKS INTO TWO SMALLER ROADS, BOTH OF WHICH DEAD END. WALLES