A HIGH TIME GA PLT CROSSES RWY 25 AT TXWY A5 WHEN GIVEN A CLRNC 'TAXI RWY 25; TXWY A5.' BELIEVING HE WAS CLRED TO HOLDING POS VIA TXWY A5 AT EGE; CO.

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WHEN READY TO TAXI FOR TKOF; I CALLED GND CTL FOR CLRNC. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO 'TAXI RWY 25; TXWY A5.' I INTERPED THIS TO BE A CLRNC TO TAXI TO THE TKOF END OF RWY 25 AND HOLD SHORT VIA TXWY A5. TXWY A5 CROSSES RWY 25 ENRTE TO THE TKOF END OF RWY 25. I PROCEEDED TO TAXI TO TXWY A5 AND THEN CROSSED RWY 25 WITHOUT ANY FURTHER CONTACT FROM GND CTL. THEN SHORTLY AFTER XING THE RWY; GND CTL CALLED AND STATED THAT I HAD NOT BEEN CLRED TO CROSS THE RWY. WITH THAT UPSETTING NEWS; I ACKNOWLEDGED; APOLOGIZED; AND BEGAN A MENTAL REVIEW OF WHAT HAD TAKEN PLACE. I HAD INTERPED THE CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS TO TAXI TO THE ASSIGNED RWY AS A CLRNC TO CROSS ALL RWYS ENRTE -- ALL EXCEPT THE ASSIGNED RWY WOULD HAVE BEEN THE CORRECT INTERP. AT LEAST THERE WAS NOT A TFC CONFLICT IN THIS INCIDENT SINCE I ALWAYS LOOK FOR TFC BEFORE ENTERING A RWY. THE ARPT INVOLVED IS SMALL BUT AT TIMES BUSY WITH AIRLINE; CPR AND PVT ACFT. THERE IS ONLY 1 CTLR TO HANDLE GND; TWR; CLRNC AND RELAYS TO ZDV. AT THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT HE WAS VERY BUSY WITH IFR CLRNCS INBOUND AND OUTBOUND. HE HAD STATED ON THE AIR THAT THERE WAS A PROB WITH HIS LANDLINE TO CTR AND THEREFORE DELAYS IN COMS. IN SOME CASES MULTIPLE CALLS WERE MADE TO GND FROM OTHER ACFT BEFORE GND CTL COULD RESPOND. THIS; I ASSUME; WAS THE REASON FOR THE CTLR'S VERY SHORT RESPONSE TO MY REQUEST FOR TAXI CLRNC. IN MY OPINION; MY IMPROPER INTERP OF A CLRNC; AND A VERY BUSY CTLR ARE THE SIGNIFICANT FACTORS IN THIS INCIDENT. IN LIGHT OF THE FAA'S CURRENT EMPHASIS ON REDUCING RWY INCURSION INCIDENTS; WOULD IT NOT BE HELPFUL TO REQUIRE CTLRS TO ALWAYS SPECIFICALLY STATE THE WORDS 'HOLD SHORT' OR 'CLRED TO CROSS;' AND PLTS TO ALWAYS HOLD SHORT UNLESS SPECIFICALLY HEARING THE WORDS 'CLRED TO CROSS' WHENEVER A RWY IS INVOLVED IN TA TAXI CLRNC? THE CURRENT WRITTEN PROC AND THE ACTUAL PRACTICE OF THEM ARE OFTEN FACTORS THAT CTLRS HAVE TO DEAL WITH. HOWEVER; WOULD 2 MORE WORDS IN A CLRNC 'HOLD SHORT;' BE OVERWHELMING?