After a year of delays, Winnipeg Blue Bombers fans finally got the chance to watch a game at the new Investors Group Field at the University of Manitoba campus.
However, some fans were forced to miss Wednesday’s 7 p.m. kick-off for the inaugural exhibition game against the Toronto Argonauts.
Traffic congestion around the new stadium caused delays for those in vehicles and on buses.
Pembina Highway and other roads in the area were backed up leading up to the game and even well into the first quarter.
Scott Woodward drove to the game. “It took about 25 minutes longer than expected. The roads were completely jam-packed. It was pretty bad,” he tells CTV News. “We expected it to be bad, but not this bad.”
Woodward says he plans to take the bus in the future.
However, fans who opted for Winnipeg Transit also met delays.
At the height of the rush, buses along busy routes skipped stops because they were full.
Wait times over an hour were reported at park and ride locations, including Assiniboia Downs and shopping centres.
Amanda Mason says she spent an hour-and-a-half on board a bus and then walked 30 minutes, though it was advertised as a 30 minute ride without stops, direct to the stadium.
She says the transportation situation will deter her from attending future games. “Probably not come for a while until they figure out a plan. That’s my plan,” she says.
Once inside, fans focused their attention on the new $200 million dollar venue.
“Everything looks really great. It took a little while to get in but I think that’s to be expected and everything’s looking really nice,” says Bomber fan Aaron Blouw.
The Toronto Argonauts beat the Bombers in the pre-season game by a final score of 24-6.
