Narrative:

At dal, the runway closures have gotten out of hand. It is very common to close a runway during the week, early in the morning until around XA30 at night for maintenance. Every other airport that I have worked, the runways are closed at night when the traffic is much lighter. We always get the runway reopened around XA30 because noise abatement starts at XB00. I personally have asked at one of the airport construction meetings, 'why can't the runway be closed at night or on the wkends?' I was told that it would put the city of dallas in a bind having to pay overtime. Dal is running around 1100-1200 takeoffs and lndgs a day. Having 1 runway closed during peak periods puts extra stress on the tower controllers, approach controllers, and the pilots. We have to constantly run squeeze plays just to get a departure or 2 out. It is a very dangerous operation, and could be avoided, by doing the maintenance at night and wkends. We also had a taxiway sign that pointed the wrong way. Taxiway D and taxiway B5 split from left to right. An arrow showed taxiway D to the left and taxiway B5 straight ahead. It should have shown taxiway D straight ahead and taxiway B5 to the right. I personally pointed this out to the aviation department. I asked if they could have this corrected. All it needs is one sign replaced! We were told that the city of dallas city council would have to approve the budget to replace the sign. In the meantime, the sign is now blank. The city of dallas aviation department has known about this sign since oct/99. Almost daily, we have someone taxiing and miss the turn to taxiway B5. The intersection of taxiway D and taxiway B5 is one of the busiest intxns on the entire airport. There have been several occasions where there have been aircraft nose-to-nose because of the unmarked intersection.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR CLAIMS DAL ARPT MGMNT CLOSES A RWY FOR MAINT MOST OF THE WK DAYS.

Narrative: AT DAL, THE RWY CLOSURES HAVE GOTTEN OUT OF HAND. IT IS VERY COMMON TO CLOSE A RWY DURING THE WK, EARLY IN THE MORNING UNTIL AROUND XA30 AT NIGHT FOR MAINT. EVERY OTHER ARPT THAT I HAVE WORKED, THE RWYS ARE CLOSED AT NIGHT WHEN THE TFC IS MUCH LIGHTER. WE ALWAYS GET THE RWY REOPENED AROUND XA30 BECAUSE NOISE ABATEMENT STARTS AT XB00. I PERSONALLY HAVE ASKED AT ONE OF THE ARPT CONSTRUCTION MEETINGS, 'WHY CAN'T THE RWY BE CLOSED AT NIGHT OR ON THE WKENDS?' I WAS TOLD THAT IT WOULD PUT THE CITY OF DALLAS IN A BIND HAVING TO PAY OVERTIME. DAL IS RUNNING AROUND 1100-1200 TKOFS AND LNDGS A DAY. HAVING 1 RWY CLOSED DURING PEAK PERIODS PUTS EXTRA STRESS ON THE TWR CTLRS, APCH CTLRS, AND THE PLTS. WE HAVE TO CONSTANTLY RUN SQUEEZE PLAYS JUST TO GET A DEP OR 2 OUT. IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS OP, AND COULD BE AVOIDED, BY DOING THE MAINT AT NIGHT AND WKENDS. WE ALSO HAD A TXWY SIGN THAT POINTED THE WRONG WAY. TXWY D AND TXWY B5 SPLIT FROM L TO R. AN ARROW SHOWED TXWY D TO THE L AND TXWY B5 STRAIGHT AHEAD. IT SHOULD HAVE SHOWN TXWY D STRAIGHT AHEAD AND TXWY B5 TO THE R. I PERSONALLY POINTED THIS OUT TO THE AVIATION DEPT. I ASKED IF THEY COULD HAVE THIS CORRECTED. ALL IT NEEDS IS ONE SIGN REPLACED! WE WERE TOLD THAT THE CITY OF DALLAS CITY COUNCIL WOULD HAVE TO APPROVE THE BUDGET TO REPLACE THE SIGN. IN THE MEANTIME, THE SIGN IS NOW BLANK. THE CITY OF DALLAS AVIATION DEPT HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS SIGN SINCE OCT/99. ALMOST DAILY, WE HAVE SOMEONE TAXIING AND MISS THE TURN TO TXWY B5. THE INTXN OF TXWY D AND TXWY B5 IS ONE OF THE BUSIEST INTXNS ON THE ENTIRE ARPT. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHERE THERE HAVE BEEN ACFT NOSE-TO-NOSE BECAUSE OF THE UNMARKED INTXN.

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.