IFR C182 ON CIRCLING APCH FROM ILS 16R TO RWY 34L/R EXPERIENCED CONFLICT WITH OTHER PATTERN TFC; UNCERTAIN ATC COM LISTED AS CAUSAL.

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I WAS ON THE ILS 16R; CIRCLING TO LAND RWY 34R. WHEN GETTING TO CIRCLING MINIMUMS; I WAS TOLD TO TURN R; TO CIRCLE NW FOR RWY 34R. THIS PUT ME ON THE L-HAND DOWNWIND FOR RWY 34L AND RWY 34R; ON THE W SIDE OF THE ARPT. I'M NOT SURE WHAT INSTRUCTIONS THE OPPOSING TFC HAD RECEIVED (GAR FROM RWY 34L?); BUT I WAS SOON NOSE-TO-NOSE WITH A PLANE IN THE PATTERN. THE TWR CTLR GAVE MULTIPLE INSTRUCTIONS THAT WERE EITHER CONFLICTING OR I WAS CONFUSED. I CONFIRMED THAT HE UNDERSTOOD WHERE WE WERE; BUT I HAD THE DISTINCT SENSE THAT COMPLETE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS HAD BEEN LOST IN THE TWR. TCAS WAS TRIGGERED; I TOOK EVASIVE MANEUVERS BY TURNING R/W. IT TURNS OUT THAT THERE WAS A THIRD ACFT ALSO IN THE L-HAND DOWNWIND; A BIT HIGHER THAN I AS WELL -- NOT A DIRECT CONFLICT WITH HIM. PERHAPS THE CTLR WAS CONFUSED WITH THAT PLANE IN THE PATTERN AS WELL. EVENTUALLY; I WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 34L (NOT THE DESIRED RWY); AND THEN WAS REDIRECTED TO RWY 34R. PRIOR TO GETTING TO RWY 34R; THE PLANE IN FRONT OF ME (ON SHORT FINAL FOR RWY 34R) HAD TO EXECUTE A GAR BECAUSE THERE WAS ANOTHER PLANE XING THE RWY (UNSURE IF THAT WAS AN INCURSION OR A BAD INSTRUCTION FROM THE GND CTLR. THE PLT OF THE XING TFC WAS HEARD APOLOGIZING ON THE TWR FREQ). EVENTUALLY LANDED SAFELY ON RWY 34R. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR INCLUDED MY ILS APCH INTO THE OPPOSING PATTERN OF TFC AT THE ARPT. I WAS UNDER AN IFR CLRNC AND WAS PROPERLY CLRED; BUT NONETHELESS THAT MUST HAVE CONFUSED THINGS. I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR THE TAPES. I SUSPECT THAT PART OF THE PROB WAS THE USE OF WORDS 'TURN R' AND 'L DOWNWIND' OR 'R DOWNWIND.' I THINK THE CTLR AND POSSIBLY MYSELF GOT THOSE WORDS CONFUSED. CIRCLING TO THE W OF THE FIELD IS A CLEARER INSTRUCTION.