Why did the airplanes cross the road?

[CHamilton]

To get to the other side, of course!

Historic move as three planes cross the street at Seattle's Museum of Flight

SEATTLE —

An historic move at Seattle's Museum of Flight Saturday -- busy Marginal Way South was shut down to traffic as three massive airplanes crossed the road.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Marginal Way! Perfect name!

 

[lo2e]

I saw the title of this thread and thought you were referring to the airport in Gibraltar - the runway there actually intersects a road!

 

[TinCan782]

When I was in the Navy ('68-'72) in San Diego I recall the USCG base across the street from the airport. They would taxi their fixed-wing aircraft across Harbor Drive to use Lindberg Field. Don't know if they still do that though.

 

[railiner]

Not too many years ago, when traveling to LaGuardia Airport's Marine Air Terminal, the main road crossed a taxiway that accessed a general aviation (business aircraft) terminal. Whenever an aircraft had to cross, they lowered railroad style gates across it!

It has now been permanently closed, due to the problem of securing it, and aircraft now use an alternate routing.

 

[JayPea]

Marginal Way! Perfect name!

Yep! They named the street after the Marginals! LOL J/K

 

[BCL]

I was thinking Gibralter too, although they're really just doing landings and takeoffs. Technically the planes aren't crossing the road, but cars are crossing the runway.

There are some communities built near airports that are designed to accommodate small planes. Some of the homes have parking for small aircraft. The streets are extra wide to accommodate planes taxiing from homes to the runway. Here's one north of Sacramento - Cameron Airpark in the unincorporated community of Cameron Park, California.

http://www.edcgov.us/Living/Stories/Cameron_Park.aspx

 

[XHRTSP]

Two airports I've been assigned to, NGP and ORD, have at grade road/taxiway crossings. It doesn't seem to be as rare as one may think.

 

[railiner]

O'Hare? Incredible! Is it still there, or was that in the past, as was the one at the Marine Air Terminal?

Many airports have internal roadways crossing taxiway's on the 'air side', but those are all by secured vehicles and personnel that have been security screened previously.

And those vehicles are under the guidance of special operating rules that always yield to aircraft, and/or radio direction from the tower ground controller. So I would not count those....only those where an open public highway or street crosses the aircraft operating area.....

 

[XHRTSP]

The crossing at O'Hare is within the secure area, but not on the flightline. So you have to be an employee at the airport to be in that area, but a flightline driving badge is not required. Also, the taxiway is an entry point into the maintenance areas, so as an airline passenger you may pass by it routinely, but never through it.