Narrative:

After a normal landing on runway 10 at bwi, I turned off the runway at taxiway east. The first officer switched to ground control who then instructed us to take taxiway P 'all the way around' to taxiway F to the gate. The clearance was spoken quickly but understandable. The frequency was somewhat congested. The turn from taxiway east to taxiway P was confusing to me and I momentarily stopped the airplane (clear of the runway) to make sure I was going the right way. Straight ahead was a virtual sea of lighted barricades. There was a taxi sign for taxiway P off to the right, the turn to the left would be fairly sharp (for a B757) and was poorly lit. After a moment of deliberation, I decided that the controller had to have meant a left turn, and I slowly and cautiously made the turn. Upon approaching our gate, we discovered a barricaded area on the ramp just off the end of our gate. I again stopped the airplane to evaluate. We then cleared taxiway P and had our guide man direct us in around the barricades. After blocking in at the gate, I went outside to do a walkaround. In the meantime, the first officer took a call at the gate podium from the tower supervisor. He was upset with us for stopping a couple of times on the txwys. He also advised the first officer to call for progressive instructions if we were 'confused.' in my opinion, they are really pushing the limits of safety with all the construction at that airport -- especially for night operations. A lighted taxi sign for taxiway P showing that it goes left and right from taxiway east would be helpful. We did read the NOTAMS and we did have our taxi diagrams out. It was still hard to see, with all that construction and poor lighting.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC FLYING A B757 INTO BWI RPTS CONFUSION DUE TO RAMP CONSTRUCTION AND MISUNDERSTANDING WITH GND CTL.

Narrative: AFTER A NORMAL LNDG ON RWY 10 AT BWI, I TURNED OFF THE RWY AT TXWY E. THE FO SWITCHED TO GND CTL WHO THEN INSTRUCTED US TO TAKE TXWY P 'ALL THE WAY AROUND' TO TXWY F TO THE GATE. THE CLRNC WAS SPOKEN QUICKLY BUT UNDERSTANDABLE. THE FREQ WAS SOMEWHAT CONGESTED. THE TURN FROM TXWY E TO TXWY P WAS CONFUSING TO ME AND I MOMENTARILY STOPPED THE AIRPLANE (CLR OF THE RWY) TO MAKE SURE I WAS GOING THE RIGHT WAY. STRAIGHT AHEAD WAS A VIRTUAL SEA OF LIGHTED BARRICADES. THERE WAS A TAXI SIGN FOR TXWY P OFF TO THE R, THE TURN TO THE L WOULD BE FAIRLY SHARP (FOR A B757) AND WAS POORLY LIT. AFTER A MOMENT OF DELIBERATION, I DECIDED THAT THE CTLR HAD TO HAVE MEANT A L TURN, AND I SLOWLY AND CAUTIOUSLY MADE THE TURN. UPON APCHING OUR GATE, WE DISCOVERED A BARRICADED AREA ON THE RAMP JUST OFF THE END OF OUR GATE. I AGAIN STOPPED THE AIRPLANE TO EVALUATE. WE THEN CLRED TXWY P AND HAD OUR GUIDE MAN DIRECT US IN AROUND THE BARRICADES. AFTER BLOCKING IN AT THE GATE, I WENT OUTSIDE TO DO A WALKAROUND. IN THE MEANTIME, THE FO TOOK A CALL AT THE GATE PODIUM FROM THE TWR SUPVR. HE WAS UPSET WITH US FOR STOPPING A COUPLE OF TIMES ON THE TXWYS. HE ALSO ADVISED THE FO TO CALL FOR PROGRESSIVE INSTRUCTIONS IF WE WERE 'CONFUSED.' IN MY OPINION, THEY ARE REALLY PUSHING THE LIMITS OF SAFETY WITH ALL THE CONSTRUCTION AT THAT ARPT -- ESPECIALLY FOR NIGHT OPS. A LIGHTED TAXI SIGN FOR TXWY P SHOWING THAT IT GOES L AND R FROM TXWY E WOULD BE HELPFUL. WE DID READ THE NOTAMS AND WE DID HAVE OUR TAXI DIAGRAMS OUT. IT WAS STILL HARD TO SEE, WITH ALL THAT CONSTRUCTION AND POOR LIGHTING.

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.