Narrative:

After listening to the airport's ATIS I communicated and received clearance from ground to taxi to the active runway (11L) via taxiway a. While taxiing wbound on taxiway a I observed construction being performed ahead of me on the taxiway and a construction barricade approximately 30-40 yards ahead and across the taxiway between my aircraft and the construction equipment (no flagmen were present). New asphalt had been laid on the taxiway west of the intersection I was approaching and no striping or markings were observed on the new asphalt. I proceeded to make a left turn at the intersection. When I realized that my route had taken me onto the active runway I immediately stopped. At the same time ground control contacted me and advised me I was on the active runway but to proceed to the next intersection; which was west of the construction activity. No other planes were required to deviate as a result of the incursion and no other aircraft were on the active runway at the time. When I returned to the airport from my flight I was asked to contact the manager on duty in the tower. When I spoke with the manager she told me that there had been a number of aircraft that had recently done the same thing that I had and that the tower personnel had been discussing closing taxiway a due to the other incursions. I informed the manager that I would request 'progressives' from then on while construction was occurring on the txwys. I recommend that the airport apply striping and taxiway markers on the new pavement prior to activating it. Also; since bjc is a multi-manned tower I suggest ground stay with the pilot as he is taxiing when there are rapid changes in construction locations by contractors around the airport. Finally; I would have expected ground to have advised me during its clearance of what I would be encountering and provide specific directions/progressives. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that during his conversation with the tower supervisor after his flight; he was told that other pilots had also used taxiway 'B' and incurred runway 11L/29R. The FSDO investigator talked with the reporter twice and the reporter indicated the investigator had made the same comment. As a result of this and other incursions; the tower is considering closing taxiway 'a' until construction is complete. What the reporter did not see and was not told about was that a temporary asphalt bypass was in place around the construction area. The bypass was not mentioned by ground control as part of the taxi instructions so when the reporter reached the barricade he simply turned left to go around. He realizes that he should have called ground control and asked for progressive taxi instructions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE55 PILOT TAXIING ON BJC'S TXWY 'A' TURNED OFF OF TXWY 'A' AT A CONSTRUCTION BARRICADE AND INCURRED THE ACTIVE RWY.

Narrative: AFTER LISTENING TO THE ARPT'S ATIS I COMMUNICATED AND RECEIVED CLRNC FROM GND TO TAXI TO THE ACTIVE RWY (11L) VIA TXWY A. WHILE TAXIING WBOUND ON TXWY A I OBSERVED CONSTRUCTION BEING PERFORMED AHEAD OF ME ON THE TXWY AND A CONSTRUCTION BARRICADE APPROX 30-40 YARDS AHEAD AND ACROSS THE TXWY BTWN MY ACFT AND THE CONSTRUCTION EQUIP (NO FLAGMEN WERE PRESENT). NEW ASPHALT HAD BEEN LAID ON THE TXWY WEST OF THE INTXN I WAS APCHING AND NO STRIPING OR MARKINGS WERE OBSERVED ON THE NEW ASPHALT. I PROCEEDED TO MAKE A L TURN AT THE INTXN. WHEN I REALIZED THAT MY RTE HAD TAKEN ME ONTO THE ACTIVE RWY I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED. AT THE SAME TIME GND CTL CONTACTED ME AND ADVISED ME I WAS ON THE ACTIVE RWY BUT TO PROCEED TO THE NEXT INTXN; WHICH WAS W OF THE CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY. NO OTHER PLANES WERE REQUIRED TO DEVIATE AS A RESULT OF THE INCURSION AND NO OTHER ACFT WERE ON THE ACTIVE RWY AT THE TIME. WHEN I RETURNED TO THE ARPT FROM MY FLT I WAS ASKED TO CONTACT THE MGR ON DUTY IN THE TWR. WHEN I SPOKE WITH THE MGR SHE TOLD ME THAT THERE HAD BEEN A NUMBER OF ACFT THAT HAD RECENTLY DONE THE SAME THING THAT I HAD AND THAT THE TWR PERSONNEL HAD BEEN DISCUSSING CLOSING TXWY A DUE TO THE OTHER INCURSIONS. I INFORMED THE MGR THAT I WOULD REQUEST 'PROGRESSIVES' FROM THEN ON WHILE CONSTRUCTION WAS OCCURRING ON THE TXWYS. I RECOMMEND THAT THE ARPT APPLY STRIPING AND TXWY MARKERS ON THE NEW PAVEMENT PRIOR TO ACTIVATING IT. ALSO; SINCE BJC IS A MULTI-MANNED TWR I SUGGEST GND STAY WITH THE PLT AS HE IS TAXIING WHEN THERE ARE RAPID CHANGES IN CONSTRUCTION LOCATIONS BY CONTRACTORS AROUND THE ARPT. FINALLY; I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED GND TO HAVE ADVISED ME DURING ITS CLRNC OF WHAT I WOULD BE ENCOUNTERING AND PROVIDE SPECIFIC DIRECTIONS/PROGRESSIVES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPORTER STATED THAT DURING HIS CONVERSATION WITH THE TOWER SUPERVISOR AFTER HIS FLT; HE WAS TOLD THAT OTHER PILOTS HAD ALSO USED TXWY 'B' AND INCURRED RWY 11L/29R. THE FSDO INVESTIGATOR TALKED WITH THE REPORTER TWICE AND THE REPORTER INDICATED THE INVESTIGATOR HAD MADE THE SAME COMMENT. AS A RESULT OF THIS AND OTHER INCURSIONS; THE TOWER IS CONSIDERING CLOSING TXWY 'A' UNTIL CONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETE. WHAT THE REPORTER DID NOT SEE AND WAS NOT TOLD ABOUT WAS THAT A TEMPORARY ASPHALT BYPASS WAS IN PLACE AROUND THE CONSTRUCTION AREA. THE BYPASS WAS NOT MENTIONED BY GND CTL AS PART OF THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS SO WHEN THE REPORTER REACHED THE BARRICADE HE SIMPLY TURNED LEFT TO GO AROUND. HE REALIZES THAT HE SHOULD HAVE CALLED GND CTL AND ASKED FOR PROGRESSIVE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.