Mercedes-Benz Stadium to add doors after fan complaints

ATLANTA - Work is set to begin this week to add more doors to Mercedes-Benz Stadium after fans raised concerns about the ability of crowds to move in and out of the building.

Officials with the stadium confirmed Tuesday that they plan to add three more exterior doors, as well as a large, roll-up door near Gate 2, the busiest entrance.

Many fans complained about long lines getting into the stadium ahead of the College Football Playoff National Championship game on January 8 as well as difficulty exiting when the game ended.

"A sea of people packed together like sardines and no order," was how Jennifer Eastman described the scene as she and her family tried to leave. "People were holding their children, kids were crying and people were trying to pack down the escalators. So, it was tight and it took a long time."

Stadium officials blamed the entry delays on the Secret Service closing down one of the gates because of President Donald Trump's arrival. They acknowledge, however, that there are "pinch points" inside the building that can make it harder for crowds to move.

A spokesperson said they have continued to make changes and improvements to the building since it opened five months ago, including removing some closets and walls to improve traffic flow.

"This is a large stadium. It's been touted as state of the art and I just feel like when you have a crowd like that coming and you know it's going to be huge, you know it's going to be packed, there are just preparations that you make to work with mass amounts of people to keep everybody safe and calm and so I was disappointed with that," said Eastman.

A stadium representative said the new doors should be in place ahead of the stadium's next ticketed event, Monster Jam, which will be February 24 and 25.

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