Narrative:

Normal flight ord-ewr. Arrival with ATIS information. Airport NOTAMS retrieved and reviewed. Captain flying. We set up approach to runway 4R, 30 degrees flaps, autobrakes 2 selected. A left turn off taxiway left or taxiway Y if possible or continue to next turnoff was briefed. We were following a heavy B747. I stayed 1/2 - 1 DOT above GS for wake avoidance. Normal landing, autobrakes followed by manual brakes. I was wearing bifocal glasses for first night landing. Normal outside clues seemed different from what I was used to, so I didn't feel comfortable exiting on a highspd that seemed too fast. I believe my peripheral vision gave me false indications of being too fast. I have worn contacts for flying for the last 16 yrs and my first time to wear a bifocal. My concern was aircraft control and then ATC. The controller was very insistent that I exit the runway for other landing traffic following. I understand their dilemma but my concern was safe control. I exited at taxiway zb only to find barricades, dimly lighted preventing further taxi. I stopped the aircraft well short of the barricades. The first officer informed the tower of our location. I asked for a tug. I called our dispatcher and he verified that taxiway zb was not notamed OTS or closed. Fortunately, WX was good. Had it not been I might not have seen the barricade. That closure should have been notamed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT MISSED INTENDED HIGHSPD TURNOFF. TURNOFF TAKEN WAS CLOSED RESULTING IN ACFT BEING TOWED TO GATE.

Narrative: NORMAL FLT ORD-EWR. ARR WITH ATIS INFO. ARPT NOTAMS RETRIEVED AND REVIEWED. CAPT FLYING. WE SET UP APCH TO RWY 4R, 30 DEGS FLAPS, AUTOBRAKES 2 SELECTED. A L TURN OFF TXWY L OR TXWY Y IF POSSIBLE OR CONTINUE TO NEXT TURNOFF WAS BRIEFED. WE WERE FOLLOWING A HVY B747. I STAYED 1/2 - 1 DOT ABOVE GS FOR WAKE AVOIDANCE. NORMAL LNDG, AUTOBRAKES FOLLOWED BY MANUAL BRAKES. I WAS WEARING BIFOCAL GLASSES FOR FIRST NIGHT LNDG. NORMAL OUTSIDE CLUES SEEMED DIFFERENT FROM WHAT I WAS USED TO, SO I DIDN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE EXITING ON A HIGHSPD THAT SEEMED TOO FAST. I BELIEVE MY PERIPHERAL VISION GAVE ME FALSE INDICATIONS OF BEING TOO FAST. I HAVE WORN CONTACTS FOR FLYING FOR THE LAST 16 YRS AND MY FIRST TIME TO WEAR A BIFOCAL. MY CONCERN WAS ACFT CTL AND THEN ATC. THE CTLR WAS VERY INSISTENT THAT I EXIT THE RWY FOR OTHER LNDG TFC FOLLOWING. I UNDERSTAND THEIR DILEMMA BUT MY CONCERN WAS SAFE CTL. I EXITED AT TXWY ZB ONLY TO FIND BARRICADES, DIMLY LIGHTED PREVENTING FURTHER TAXI. I STOPPED THE ACFT WELL SHORT OF THE BARRICADES. THE FO INFORMED THE TWR OF OUR LOCATION. I ASKED FOR A TUG. I CALLED OUR DISPATCHER AND HE VERIFIED THAT TXWY ZB WAS NOT NOTAMED OTS OR CLOSED. FORTUNATELY, WX WAS GOOD. HAD IT NOT BEEN I MIGHT NOT HAVE SEEN THE BARRICADE. THAT CLOSURE SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOTAMED.

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.