C182 PLT; APCHING MDW VISUALLY; IS CONFUSED BY CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS AND ENDS UP LNDG ON EAST WEST TXWY.

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UPON CONTACTING MIDWAY (MDW) I STATED THE GENERAL INFO AND I ALSO STATED I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT. I WAS APCHING FROM THE W FOLLOWING THE I AND M CANAL. THE CTLR STATED THAT HE WANTED ME TO APCH FROM THE W; DIRECT FOR RWY 4L. I WAS APCHING FROM THE W; SO I CONTINUED ON MY CURRENT PATH; WHICH COINCIDENTLY WAS 40 DEGS (LINED UP PERFECTLY FOR DIRECT IN TO RWY 4L). A FEW MINS LATER THE CTLR REQUESTED AGAIN FOR ME TO APCH FROM THE W; SO HE TOLD ME TO TURN N. THE CTLR NEVER GAVE ME A COMPASS HDG TO FOLLOW. WHEN DEPARTING; CTLRS WANT TO KNOW WHAT HDG YOU'LL BE DEPARTING. WHEN APCHING; I THINK CTLRS SHOULD GIVE YOU THE HDG ON THE COMPASS OR DIRECTIONAL INDICATOR. SO; I TURNED N. AFTER FLYING FOR QUITE A LONG TIME IN BUSY CTLED AIRSPACE; I SUSPECTED THAT MY LOCATION WAS NOT WHERE THE CTLRS THOUGHT I WAS. SINCE I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT; I THOUGHT THEY WERE VECTORING ME IN. THE CTLR FINALLY ASKED ME TO TURN E AND ASKED ME IF I COULD SEE THE ACR X JET TO MY R; AND HE ALSO ASKED IF I COULD SEE THE RWY. I DID SEE THE ACR X AND I WAS PERFECTLY LINED UP WITH A DIFFERENT RWY RIGHT AFTER I MADE MY 90 DEG TURN TO THE E. A COUPLE HUNDRED FT BEFORE TOUCHDOWN; I REALIZED I WAS NOT LINED UP WITH A RWY; I WAS LINED UP WITH A TXWY. I QUICKLY THOUGHT IT WAS TOO LATE FOR RADIO COMS TO DIVERT ME. I SCANNED UP AND DOWN THE TXWY AND SCANNED TO THE SIDES OF THE TXWY AS WELL. I WOULD HAVE ANNOUNCED A GAR HAD I BEEN LINED UP WITH THE RWY. I THOUGHT A GAR ON A TXWY WAS TOO DANGEROUS AND COULD END UP IN A MIDAIR COLLISION. I CHOSE THE LESSER OF 2 EVILS BY RISKING A GND COLLISION; INSTEAD OF A MIDAIR; AND I LANDED ON THE TXWY. I ADMIT 100% FAULT OF LNDG ON A TXWY. I THOUGHT IT WAS THE SAFEST OPTION AT THE TIME. AFTER PARKING THE PLANE I CALLED THE PHONE NUMBER THEY REQUESTED ME TO CALL. I ADMITTED TO KNOWINGLY LNDG ON THE TXWY AND I APOLOGIZED. THE CTLR APOLOGIZED TO ME AND INFORMED ME THAT THEY LOST ME. I SAID THAT'S PROBABLY THE REASON FOR THE CONFUSION. THE CTLR ALSO THANKED ME FOR NOT DOING A GAR FROM THE TXWY. NO COLLISION OCCURRED AND THANKFULLY; NO ONE WAS INJURED. CALLBACK CONVERION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS LINED UP WITH RWY 4L AT MDW ALMOST FROM TKOF AND COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT THE CTLR WAS TRYING TO DO WHEN HE ASKED THE RPTR TO APCH FROM THE W. THE INSTRUCTION TO FLY N FURTHER CONFUSED HIM.