Tower controller reported a runway incursion due to an aircraft taking the improper taxi route.

Attributes
ACN	1607368
Time
Date	201901
Local Time Of Day	1801-2400
Place
Locale Reference	DAL.Airport
State Reference	TX
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Taxi
Route In Use	None
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Citation Excel (C560XL)
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Takeoff
Route In Use	None
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	Ground
Qualification	Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Experience	Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 1
Events
Anomaly	ATC Issue All Types Conflict Ground Conflict Less Severe Deviation - Procedural Clearance Ground Incursion Runway Ground Incursion Taxiway

Narrative:

I was working ground control (ground control). Aircraft Y had just landed runway 31L and was instructed by local control (local controller) to turn right at either taxiway east or C4. Local control observed aircraft Y making a right turn off at C4 then cleared aircraft X for take off (who I believe was in position at the time). I noticed aircraft Y continuing a right handed turn onto an old decommissioned reverse exit (juliet I believe was it's name). I immediately yelled to local control to stop his departure and that aircraft Y was still on the runway. Local control immediately canceled the takeoff clearance. By this time aircraft Y had done a complete 180 and was slightly working his way southbound on the runway; eventually continuing a right hand turn for C4 again.the old reverse turn off 'stub' should have been and still should be completely demolished. Currently it exists as a approximately 50 foot piece of concrete coming of off C4. There are yellow painted X's however at night most likely difficult to see. Furthermore this airport would greatly benefit from an asde-X. This would have given local control an even better idea of the situation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Tower Controller reported a runway incursion due to an aircraft taking the improper taxi route.

Narrative: I was working GC (Ground control). Aircraft Y had just landed RWY 31L and was instructed by LC (Local Controller) to turn right at either taxiway E or C4. LC observed Aircraft Y making a right turn off at C4 then cleared Aircraft X for take off (who I believe was in position at the time). I noticed Aircraft Y continuing a right handed turn onto an old decommissioned reverse exit (Juliet I believe was it's name). I immediately yelled to LC to stop his departure and that Aircraft Y was still on the runway. LC immediately canceled the takeoff clearance. By this time Aircraft Y had done a complete 180 and was slightly working his way southbound on the runway; eventually continuing a right hand turn for C4 again.The old reverse turn off 'stub' should have been and still should be completely demolished. Currently it exists as a approximately 50 foot piece of concrete coming of off C4. There are yellow painted X's however at night most likely difficult to see. Furthermore this airport would greatly benefit from an ASDE-X. This would have given LC an even better idea of the situation.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.