Narrative:

This letter is to provide information about a safety issue at ord airport. During current operations, the runway 32R hold pad and taxiway P are closed due to construction. B bridge to runway 32R to taxiway H is an alternate route currently in use. The use of this route at night or during low visibility conditions could lead to a serious accident. After a runway incursion in sep/99 and subsequent conversations with other taxi and flcs, these safety factors have come to my attention: 1) aircraft landing on runway 9L, and taxiing aircraft using the alternate taxi route, are coming nose-to-nose on runway 32R or taxiway P, causing the aircraft clearing runway 9L to stop on the runway. 2) at night and during poor visibility, this problem is compounded by not being able to see the approach end of runway 9L from your position on runway 32R prior to turning onto taxiway H. 3) the timing for turning onto taxiway H from runway 32R is critical in that enough time or spacing must be allowed for traffic landing on runway 9L to clear the runway. I feel the temporary taxi route should not be used at night or during low visibility conditions. This route has the potential to be the catalyst of a chain of events leading to a very serious accident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAXI MECH HAD TROUBLE AROUND THE AREA CLOSED FOR CONSTRUCTION AT ORD.

Narrative: THIS LETTER IS TO PROVIDE INFO ABOUT A SAFETY ISSUE AT ORD ARPT. DURING CURRENT OPS, THE RWY 32R HOLD PAD AND TXWY P ARE CLOSED DUE TO CONSTRUCTION. B BRIDGE TO RWY 32R TO TXWY H IS AN ALTERNATE RTE CURRENTLY IN USE. THE USE OF THIS RTE AT NIGHT OR DURING LOW VISIBILITY CONDITIONS COULD LEAD TO A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. AFTER A RWY INCURSION IN SEP/99 AND SUBSEQUENT CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHER TAXI AND FLCS, THESE SAFETY FACTORS HAVE COME TO MY ATTN: 1) ACFT LNDG ON RWY 9L, AND TAXIING ACFT USING THE ALTERNATE TAXI RTE, ARE COMING NOSE-TO-NOSE ON RWY 32R OR TXWY P, CAUSING THE ACFT CLRING RWY 9L TO STOP ON THE RWY. 2) AT NIGHT AND DURING POOR VISIBILITY, THIS PROB IS COMPOUNDED BY NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE THE APCH END OF RWY 9L FROM YOUR POS ON RWY 32R PRIOR TO TURNING ONTO TXWY H. 3) THE TIMING FOR TURNING ONTO TXWY H FROM RWY 32R IS CRITICAL IN THAT ENOUGH TIME OR SPACING MUST BE ALLOWED FOR TFC LNDG ON RWY 9L TO CLR THE RWY. I FEEL THE TEMPORARY TAXI RTE SHOULD NOT BE USED AT NIGHT OR DURING LOW VISIBILITY CONDITIONS. THIS RTE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE THE CATALYST OF A CHAIN OF EVENTS LEADING TO A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT.

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.