Widebody; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 224; Flight Crew Type 9042
Communication Breakdown; Confusion
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Ground Incursion Taxiway
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Airport; Procedure
On final for Rwy 27 we had ATIS info. There was no info regarding SC taxiway being closed. Subsequent ATIS [previous] that I pulled up at the gate with same time did state SC closed. There was also an interim ATIS [report] that was passed to us by Approach with same altimeter. We were joining final so did not pull it up on ACARS. Three ATIS reports in 15 minutes with same time stamp? I had also previously checked NOTAMS. There was no mention of SC taxiway being closed. We asked tower controller if we could roll to the end of RWY 27 as per normal early AM arrival to hasten gate arrival at Terminal X. Assigned Gate. Controller said that we could but that SC was closed 'AT ENTRANCE TO SOUTH RAMP!' We then discussed our taxi in which would be SC RA R2 RB to Gate avoiding said area. This would be the normal route for this gate anyway.  After clearing the runway we proceeded N on SC. Controller was talking to another aircraft on final for its clearance to land. In between; the controller gave us instructions to taxi that were misleading. We had already passed SB taxiway and she said 'Taxi right on RA SC RB to gate.' FO was unfamiliar with taxiways at IAH and was slow with readback. FO [#2] 2 took over to read back instructions. The controller then yelled at us to STOP!! I brought Aircraft to stop and set brakes. She said that if we taxied any further we would sink into wet cement. At that point we were stuck as our only exit was straight ahead as planned. She said that the city was going to come out and check our position relative to said wet cement. If taxiway was closed there were no barricades; barrels; cones; lights or anything to designate it as closed! Absolutely nothing! The city vehicle inspected our gear and position and said if we stayed on the centerline we would not hit the affected area. We did so and taxied to our gate without a problem. I did notice the spots they were concerned with and they were small minor pothole type patches. The way they were talking I thought it was full replaced sections of concrete. It was not. Spoke to the ATC Coordinator and Tower Supervisor on my drive home. The Tower Supervisor was quite defensive and somewhat rude saying he would pull the tapes. I kept asking him why the taxiway was not marked and he said that the city was in charge of that.
Analyst verified with reporter that it was only the lack of construction area markings and not normal taxiway markings that were deficient.
We had just landed on runway 27 at IAH and rolled to the end to expedite the taxi to gate E5.I was PF and transferred control to the captain for the exit off of the runway onto taxiway SC. Our understanding at the time was the taxiway was closed at the entrance into the ramp area. I was not real familiar with the taxiway layout and had not yet switched from my Jepps Approach chart to the Taxi Chart before trying to relay the captain's intentions to the tower of our taxi plan to go straight on SC to RA and enter the ramp at R2. As we passed SB the tower told us to stop because SC was closed. There were no markings on the taxiway to convey a closed taxiway. We were then told there was wet concrete on SC and we were to have turned onto SB to avoid it. Operations came out in a truck to watch or landing gear as we taxied on SC; making sure we did not run over any repaired taxiway. The rest of the taxi to the gate was uneventful.Contributing factors:My unfamiliarity of the taxi route and no closed markings on the taxiway.ATIS had changed twice since the top of decent; first time at 1;000 feet and again as we stopped at the gate. I had not reviewed it since the weather was clear and I was flying.Tower taxi instructions were confusing and blocked at times from other transmissions.We were trying to get to the gate ahead of other international flights to avoid long lines in customs since there is no crew line in customs at IAH.
After landing at IAH; flight crew received taxi instructions that included confusing information concerning construction closures. Received ATIS contained no information on construction or taxiway closures. While taxiing as cleared; the crew received instructions from ATC to stop in order to avoid wet concrete. Airport personnel arrived to assist the crew in clearing the unmarked construction area; which was the filling of several potholes; and continued taxi to their gate.