Country Fest Traffic Causes Headaches for Walpole Police

While Foxborough was implementing their plan to try to curb tailgating by closing the parking lots at Gillette Stadium until three hours before each night of last weekend's Country Fest, Walpole was dealing with the subsequent traffic and the issues that came along with it.

According to an article on Boston.com today, officials said concertgoers who were stuck in traffic for hours on Route 1 and nearby side streets resorted to drinking in their cars and in parking lots before the lots at Gillette were opened for tailgating.

A total of over 100,000 people were expected to attend Country Fest Friday and Saturday and Foxborough officials had hoped that the put in place would cut down on binge drinking tailgaters before the shows.

However, according to Walpole Police Chief Richard Stillman concertgoers did not wait until they got to Gillette to begin drinking, the article said.

"It’s a fallacy to think that closing the lots keeps people from drinking," he told Boston.com. "They are just drinking wherever they are."

Foxborough Police Chief Edward O'Leary told Boston.com, "I was very concerned about the impact on Walpole, and I feel very badly it had those kinds of problems."

To read the full article on Boston.com click here.

Here are some concert-related incidents from the Walpole Police logs:

Aug. 24

8:53 p.m. - Water Street - Units off with numerous taxis and motor vehicles blocking the flow of traffic.

Aug. 25

12:25 p.m. - Neponset Street - Caller reported people drinking in front of their property at Willow/Neponset. Deputy Carmichael spoke with approximately 20 vehicles and 1 bus and had them move from the area.

12:39 p.m. - Washington Street - Deputy Carmichael spoke with people tailgating at the cemetery. People were removed.

12:43 p.m. - Main Street - Caller reported a busload of intoxicated people stopped in front of Galaxy Granite urinating on the lawn.