Baghdad to Samarra

An Iraqi journalist reports on a short road trip between Baghdad and Samarra. One interesting detail. He reports Iraqi Army checkpoints every half mile over roughly a 50 mile journey on what looks like Highway 1, the main road heading north out of Baghdad. I wonder if there's a way to find out how many check points there were along Highway 1 in 2003 and how far apart they were placed?

Checkpoints Through Iraq’s Checkerboard
Bu Mohammed Hussein, New York Times, October 3, 2008

On a journey through a region of Iraq noticeably safer than it was even several months ago - but still not free of hazards - Mohammed Hussein describes his 70-mile road trip through the political, sectarian, tribal and religious checkerboard that is modern Iraq. And the Samarra which he found at his destination, but did not recognize.