Narrative:

While rolling out from landing on runway 27R at ord, I was instructed by tower to turn left onto runway 4L. As I began to turn I noticed a work crew consisting of 3 trucks and several men working on something in the center of runway 4L immediately south of runway 27R. I had room to clear runway 27R (I think) but I would have been unable to proceed further (because of the trucks) if I had made the left turn onto runway 4L. I slowed to nearly a stop on the runway 27R and told the first officer to query tower about the work crew and get a confirmation that he (tower) did indeed want us to turn onto runway 4L. Because of frequency congestion, there was a delay in further contact with tower. When the first officer was able to make the call to tower, tower did not acknowledge our transmission but did immediately instruct a flight landing behind us on runway 27R to go around. At the same time the ground crew noticed us at the intersection of runways 27R and 4L and immediately got into their trucks and cleared runway 4L. We proceeded to turn onto runway 4L and contacted ground. The entire event (from the time we were instructed to turn left onto runway 4L until the flight had to go around) was only 20-30 seconds. My impression was that the tower controller was not aware of the presence of the ground crew working on runway 4L.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE ROLLING OUT AFTER LNDG ON RWY 27R, MLG WAS TOLD TO TURN L ONTO RWY 4L. AS THE RPTR APCHED RWY 4L, HE DISCOVERED THERE WAS A WORK PARTY, MEN AND VEHICLES, JUST S OF RWY 27R. HE HAD TO STALL ON THE RWY CAUSING A FLT BEHIND THEM TO GAR. TWR SEEMED UNAWARE OF THE PRESENCE OF THE WORK PARTY.

Narrative: WHILE ROLLING OUT FROM LNDG ON RWY 27R AT ORD, I WAS INSTRUCTED BY TWR TO TURN L ONTO RWY 4L. AS I BEGAN TO TURN I NOTICED A WORK CREW CONSISTING OF 3 TRUCKS AND SEVERAL MEN WORKING ON SOMETHING IN THE CTR OF RWY 4L IMMEDIATELY S OF RWY 27R. I HAD ROOM TO CLR RWY 27R (I THINK) BUT I WOULD HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO PROCEED FURTHER (BECAUSE OF THE TRUCKS) IF I HAD MADE THE L TURN ONTO RWY 4L. I SLOWED TO NEARLY A STOP ON THE RWY 27R AND TOLD THE FO TO QUERY TWR ABOUT THE WORK CREW AND GET A CONFIRMATION THAT HE (TWR) DID INDEED WANT US TO TURN ONTO RWY 4L. BECAUSE OF FREQ CONGESTION, THERE WAS A DELAY IN FURTHER CONTACT WITH TWR. WHEN THE FO WAS ABLE TO MAKE THE CALL TO TWR, TWR DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE OUR XMISSION BUT DID IMMEDIATELY INSTRUCT A FLT LNDG BEHIND US ON RWY 27R TO GAR. AT THE SAME TIME THE GND CREW NOTICED US AT THE INTXN OF RWYS 27R AND 4L AND IMMEDIATELY GOT INTO THEIR TRUCKS AND CLRED RWY 4L. WE PROCEEDED TO TURN ONTO RWY 4L AND CONTACTED GND. THE ENTIRE EVENT (FROM THE TIME WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TURN L ONTO RWY 4L UNTIL THE FLT HAD TO GAR) WAS ONLY 20-30 SECONDS. MY IMPRESSION WAS THAT THE TWR CTLR WAS NOT AWARE OF THE PRESENCE OF THE GND CREW WORKING ON RWY 4L.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.