Narrative:

Stl ground metering switched us to stl ground control at spot xx. Ground cleared us to 'taxi to runway 12L via taxiway east to hold short of runway 12R.' as I began to taxi, I became concerned about the construction that was taking place along runway 12R and the parallel txwys. I stopped the aircraft and looked at the airport diagram. I wanted to ensure I was going to taxi as directed. It happened that taxiway signs had been removed during the construction. Ground control gave me different taxi instructions, it must have appeared from their vantage point that I would not be able to make the turn to taxiway east. I had stopped, giving myself enough room to turn either way because I wanted to keep myself oriented before turning onto the taxiway I assumed was taxiway east. Looking back on the event, it would be obvious to someone flying regularly out of stl which taxiway was taxiway east. I had not been in stl since the new runway construction was begun and being in close proximity to runway 12R I wanted to be certain of my location and actions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A DC9 STOPPED BEFORE TURNING ONTO TXWY DURING TAXI OUT TO ASSURE THAT HE WAS TURNING THE CORRECT DIRECTION SINCE THE USUAL ARPT MARKINGS WERE NOT VISIBLE DUE TO CONSTRUCTION. GND CTLR INTERVENED TO CONFIRM THE DIRECTION OF TURN.

Narrative: STL GND METERING SWITCHED US TO STL GND CTL AT SPOT XX. GND CLRED US TO 'TAXI TO RWY 12L VIA TXWY E TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 12R.' AS I BEGAN TO TAXI, I BECAME CONCERNED ABOUT THE CONSTRUCTION THAT WAS TAKING PLACE ALONG RWY 12R AND THE PARALLEL TXWYS. I STOPPED THE ACFT AND LOOKED AT THE ARPT DIAGRAM. I WANTED TO ENSURE I WAS GOING TO TAXI AS DIRECTED. IT HAPPENED THAT TXWY SIGNS HAD BEEN REMOVED DURING THE CONSTRUCTION. GND CTL GAVE ME DIFFERENT TAXI INSTRUCTIONS, IT MUST HAVE APPEARED FROM THEIR VANTAGE POINT THAT I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE THE TURN TO TXWY E. I HAD STOPPED, GIVING MYSELF ENOUGH ROOM TO TURN EITHER WAY BECAUSE I WANTED TO KEEP MYSELF ORIENTED BEFORE TURNING ONTO THE TXWY I ASSUMED WAS TXWY E. LOOKING BACK ON THE EVENT, IT WOULD BE OBVIOUS TO SOMEONE FLYING REGULARLY OUT OF STL WHICH TXWY WAS TXWY E. I HAD NOT BEEN IN STL SINCE THE NEW RWY CONSTRUCTION WAS BEGUN AND BEING IN CLOSE PROX TO RWY 12R I WANTED TO BE CERTAIN OF MY LOCATION AND ACTIONS.

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.