Narrative:

After pushback from the concourse at ord, ramp control instructed our flight to sequence with traffic moving ssw on the taxiway B line and monitor ground control. This was only my second trip into ord, but the captain had multiple previous visits in the past 2 yrs. After approximately 10 mins, ground control instructed our flight to 'taxi taxiway A9 to taxiway B, hold short of the bravo bridge.' I read back the clearance and repeated the instructions to the captain, who had been talking to the company on communication #2 and was not monitoring communication #1. We began taxiing and the captain indicated that he did not know where the bravo bridge was located. So I contacted ground control for clarification, asking 'where is the bravo bridge?' ground control was very busy and now seemed irritated with us. Ground repeated his initial taxi instructions, adding that 'the bravo bridge is on taxiway B, that's why it's called 'bravo bridge'.' the captain and I still had not been told where on taxiway B the 'bravo bride' was, and the semi-circular shape of the taxiway turns through over 180 degrees, further complicating the task. We taxied slowly, and in doing so, located a note on the airport diagram '2) caution: no aircraft are permitted to stop on bridged txwys a and B.' the captain and I decided that this probably indicated the 'bravo bridge' and stopped there, and switched to monitor tower as instructed by ground control's last transmission. The remainder of the flight was uneventful. Contributing factors were nighttime, IMC, 1/4 mi visibility with rain and fog, a very busy terminal and extremely congested ground control frequency. Neither crew members are based at ord, and are unfamiliar with local 'norms' and terminology. While local terms like 'penalty box' and 'scenic holding pad' are labeled on the airport diagram, 'bravo bridge' is not, but must be inferred from a notation on the diagram. It was difficult to communicate with ground due to congestion on the frequency. Much, if not all, of our confusion could have been avoided if ground had instructed us to taxi to runway 32R via taxiway A9 and taxiway B, hold short of the runway 32R ILS critical area. It is interesting to note that the 'bravo bridge' is noted on the chart as 'runway incursion hot spot #7.' perhaps other pilots have not realized where the 'bravo bridge' is either.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN E145 CREW, TAXIING FOR TKOF AT ORD, UNABLE TO LOCATE 'BRAVO BRIDGE,' QUERIED GND CTL AS TO ITS LOCATION.

Narrative: AFTER PUSHBACK FROM THE CONCOURSE AT ORD, RAMP CTL INSTRUCTED OUR FLT TO SEQUENCE WITH TFC MOVING SSW ON THE TXWY B LINE AND MONITOR GND CTL. THIS WAS ONLY MY SECOND TRIP INTO ORD, BUT THE CAPT HAD MULTIPLE PREVIOUS VISITS IN THE PAST 2 YRS. AFTER APPROX 10 MINS, GND CTL INSTRUCTED OUR FLT TO 'TAXI TXWY A9 TO TXWY B, HOLD SHORT OF THE BRAVO BRIDGE.' I READ BACK THE CLRNC AND REPEATED THE INSTRUCTIONS TO THE CAPT, WHO HAD BEEN TALKING TO THE COMPANY ON COM #2 AND WAS NOT MONITORING COM #1. WE BEGAN TAXIING AND THE CAPT INDICATED THAT HE DID NOT KNOW WHERE THE BRAVO BRIDGE WAS LOCATED. SO I CONTACTED GND CTL FOR CLARIFICATION, ASKING 'WHERE IS THE BRAVO BRIDGE?' GND CTL WAS VERY BUSY AND NOW SEEMED IRRITATED WITH US. GND REPEATED HIS INITIAL TAXI INSTRUCTIONS, ADDING THAT 'THE BRAVO BRIDGE IS ON TXWY B, THAT'S WHY IT'S CALLED 'BRAVO BRIDGE'.' THE CAPT AND I STILL HAD NOT BEEN TOLD WHERE ON TXWY B THE 'BRAVO BRIDE' WAS, AND THE SEMI-CIRCULAR SHAPE OF THE TXWY TURNS THROUGH OVER 180 DEGS, FURTHER COMPLICATING THE TASK. WE TAXIED SLOWLY, AND IN DOING SO, LOCATED A NOTE ON THE ARPT DIAGRAM '2) CAUTION: NO ACFT ARE PERMITTED TO STOP ON BRIDGED TXWYS A AND B.' THE CAPT AND I DECIDED THAT THIS PROBABLY INDICATED THE 'BRAVO BRIDGE' AND STOPPED THERE, AND SWITCHED TO MONITOR TWR AS INSTRUCTED BY GND CTL'S LAST XMISSION. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE NIGHTTIME, IMC, 1/4 MI VISIBILITY WITH RAIN AND FOG, A VERY BUSY TERMINAL AND EXTREMELY CONGESTED GND CTL FREQ. NEITHER CREW MEMBERS ARE BASED AT ORD, AND ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH LCL 'NORMS' AND TERMINOLOGY. WHILE LCL TERMS LIKE 'PENALTY BOX' AND 'SCENIC HOLDING PAD' ARE LABELED ON THE ARPT DIAGRAM, 'BRAVO BRIDGE' IS NOT, BUT MUST BE INFERRED FROM A NOTATION ON THE DIAGRAM. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO COMMUNICATE WITH GND DUE TO CONGESTION ON THE FREQ. MUCH, IF NOT ALL, OF OUR CONFUSION COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF GND HAD INSTRUCTED US TO TAXI TO RWY 32R VIA TXWY A9 AND TXWY B, HOLD SHORT OF THE RWY 32R ILS CRITICAL AREA. IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT THE 'BRAVO BRIDGE' IS NOTED ON THE CHART AS 'RWY INCURSION HOT SPOT #7.' PERHAPS OTHER PLTS HAVE NOT REALIZED WHERE THE 'BRAVO BRIDGE' IS EITHER.

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.