AN 3145 CREW; LNDG AT GRR IN LIMITED VISIBILITY; BECAME DISORIENTED BY TXWY SIGNAGE AND BLUE LIGHTS; RESULTING IN AN EXCURSION FROM THE RWY.

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WE LANDED ON RWY 26L. ON LNDG ROLLOUT; VISIBILITY WAS REDUCED DUE TO SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW. GRR TWR TOLD US TO EXIT AT A2. I SAW THE A2 TAXI SIGNS AND THE BLUE TAXI LIGHTS. I BEGAN A TURN TO THE R WHEN MY FO STATED; 'I DON'T THINK WE ARE ON THE TXWY.' THE NOSE GEAR AND R MAIN GEAR WENT APPROX 18 INCHES OFF THE EDGE OF THE RWY ON TO SNOW COVERED GRASS. NO INJURIES TO PAX OR CREW. NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. RWY 26L HAS BEEN OPEN SINCE NOV/01. THE TXWY A2 SIGN IS APPROX 500 FT BEFORE THE HIGH SPD TXWY. RWY 26L ALSO HAS BLUE TAXI LIGHTS ALONG THE RWY EDGE BTWN A1 AND A2 HIGH SPD TXWY. IN GOOD VISIBILITY; HAVING THE BLUE TAXI LIGHTS ALONG THE EDGE OF THE RWY WOULD NOT BE A PROB. BUT ON THIS NIGHT; WITH REDUCED VISIBILITY BECAUSE OF THE BLOWING SNOW IT IS A PROB. I MADE THE TURN BECAUSE I HAD JUST PAST THE A2 TAXI SIGN AND I HAD A BLUE TAXI LIGHT ON MY R AND A BLUE TAXI LIGHT ON MY L SPACED ABOUT 100 FT APART. I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO AN ARPT THAT HAS BLUE TAXI LIGHT ALONG THE EDGE OF THE RWY FOR THIS GREAT OF A DISTANCE. I SPOKE TO THE GRR TWR THE NEXT DAY; AND THE CTLR STATED THAT THE ARPT KNOWS THAT THE SIGN IS NOT IN THE R SPOT AND THE BLUE TAXI LIGHTS SHOULD NOT BE ALONG THE RWY FOR THAT GREAT OF A DISTANCE. THE A2 TAXI SIGN SHOULD BE MOVED JUST PRIOR OF THE HIGH SPD TXWY AND THE BLUE TAXI LIGHTS REMOVED FROM ALONG THE RWY EDGE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 541075: CAPT (PF) STOPPED ACFT ON THE RWY. TWR TOLD US TO EXIT AT TXWY A2. CAPT TURNED TOWARDS WHAT WE AGREED TO BE A2 TXWY SINCE WE HAD SEEN THE A2 SIGN PASS BY AS WE ROLLED OUT. WE HAD BLUE TAXI LIGHT ON OUR L AND R. CAPT WAS NOW TAXIING EXTREMELY SLOW DUE TO POOR VISIBILITY. I SUDDENLY SEE SOMETHING THAT LOOKS LIKE THE RWY EDGE AND STATE 'I DON'T THINK THIS IS THE TXWY.' CAPT IMMEDIATELY STOPS THE ACFT. NOSE GEAR AND R MAIN WENT APPROX 18 INCHES OFF THE EDGE OF RWY. PAX WAS DEPLANED BY AIRSTAIRS AND BUSSED TO TERMINAL. NO INJURIES TO PAX AND NO ACFT DAMAGE. ENTRY WAS MADE IN ACFT LOGBOOK. THE LIGHTING OF THE RWY AND TXWY EXITS WAS CONFUSING; ESPECIALLY IN POOR VISIBILITY. THERE ARE SEVERAL BLUE TAXI LIGHTS ALIGNED WITH THE RWY WHICH LEADS YOU TO BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE ENTERING OR ON A TXWY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH A GRR TWR SPECIALIST REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: WHEN RWY 8/26 RECENTLY UNDERWENT A REFURBISHING; CERTAIN ADDITIONS LIKE THE HIGH SPD TURNOFFS WERE HOPED TO BE REWARDING IMPROVEMENTS. FOR THE MOST PART THEY ARE. HOWEVER; UNDER CERTAIN WX CONDITIONS; THAT AREA BTWN THE 2 HIGH SPDS; GIVES CREWS THE ILLUSION TO MAKE A PREMATURE TURN OFF THE RWY. HIGH SPD TURNOFF RADIUS; BLUE TXWY LIGHT PLACEMENT; AND THE CLOSE PROX OF TXWY A TO THE HIGH SPD; WERE ALL EXPLAINED AS BEING PART OF THE PROB. ALTHOUGH THE PROB HAS BEEN DEFINED; A SOLUTION TO THE PROB HAS YET TO BE FOUND. THE FAA; ALONG WITH THE ARPT AUTH; AND USERS OF THE ARPT HAVE HAD NUMEROUS MEETINGS TRYING TO SOLVE THE PROB.