Employees of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) work hard to meet our mail needs—whether that means facing aggressive animals or handling letters and packages in the extreme heat. But that doesn't mean that the USPS is willing to put its employees through just anything in order to keep postal operations running. In fact, the agency will often halt deliveries and close post offices when concerning circumstances arise. Right now, postal customers in three different states are experiencing this firsthand. Read on to find out more about the latest USPS closures.
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The USPS is closing post offices in three states.
iStockUnexpected circumstances can make it unavoidable for the USPS not to step in. But the Postal Service doesn't like to leave its customers in the dark when this happens. The agency has two online tools to inform the public about residential service disruptions. Through its Service Alerts website and local press releases posted for each state, people can find out if their mail is being delivered or whether their local post office has been shuttered.
According to the most recent Service Alerts and local press releases, customers in Illinois, Colorado, and Vermont are dealing with new post office closures.
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One of the facilities was closed for structural issues.
ShutterstockNorthern Illinois residents got hit with inconvenient postal news earlier this week. In a July 24 local press release, the Postal Service announced that it was temporarily suspending retail operations at the Broadway Post Office in Rockford, Illinois. According to the release, the facility has been closed "due to structural issues."
The agency hasn't elaborated on what the specific issues are, but it said the decision to shut down the Broadway Post Office's retail operations on a temporary basis was made "to ensure the safety of both postal customers and employees."
Best Life reached out to the USPS to get more information on the structural concerns, and we will update this story with their response.
During the closure, Broadway Post Office customers are being directed to the East Rockwood Post Office for retail services and P.O. Box mail pick-up.
"No timetable has yet been established for the resumption of retail services," the agency said in its release. "USPS appreciates the public’s understanding and patience and apologizes for any inconvenience this situation may have caused."
Another was shuttered after a vehicle crash.
iStockBuilding issues are also contributing to another post office closure right now. In a July 27 local press release, the USPS revealed that it had been forced to close a post office in Fountain, Colorado, after a vehicle crash.
"A vehicle drove into the Fountain Post Office forcing postal officials to relocate retail services and PO Box customer services," the agency said.
The incident occurred just before 10:30 a.m. on July 27, the Colorado Springs Gazette reported. A spokesperson with the Fountain Police Department told the newspaper that no injuries were reported and no one was arrested for the crash, as they suspect a "possible brake failure" is to blame.
Best Life reached out to the USPS to find out the extent of the damage, as well as when the facility will reopen, and we will update this story with their response.
During the closure, Fountain Post Office customers are being directed to go to the Security Post Office in Colorado Springs to pick up their mail and access retail operations.
The Vermont closure was caused by flooding.
iStockMeanwhile, postal customers in Vermont are dealing with a different problem altogether. Since the second week of July, the USPS has been shuttering post offices across the state amid severe storms. Most recently, the agency issued a new update to its Service Alerts website on July 27 to inform residents about a facility closure in Montpelier, Vermont.
The Montpelier Post Office is "temporarily closed due to flooding," the Postal Service said in its alert. Disastrous floods hit the city around July 10, but crews are still clearing out mud-caked office furniture and equipment from the postal facility two weeks later, local CBS-affiliate WCAX reported.
According to the news outlet, the Postal Service has set up mobile units at the Vermont College of Fine Arts on 43 College Street to help affected customers.
"During this closure, PO Box mail, Caller Service and any item requiring a signature will be available at College of Fine Arts," the USPS said in its release.
When Best Life reached out to the agency, USPS spokesperson Stephen Doherty shared that the Montpelier Post Office took quite a hit from the natural disaster.
"We're hoping to reoccupy the Montpelier facility as quickly as feasible," Doherty said. "However it did suffer extensive damage from recent flooding and there is no timetable established as yet."
