Postal Service Changes Causes Late Mail Deliveries

Recent changes at the Bridgewater Post Office has been causing some customers to get their mail later in the day that usual—resident Beth Stone said her mail was recently dropped off at about 8 p.m. 

"I feel so bad for the carriers still delivering so late into the day—but also want my mail to come while it is still light out," she said.

Others may have noticed changes in the normally-routine mail service: it's part of a series of changes underway at the post office as the agency works through its long-standing budget problems, according to the US Postal Servivce.

"The primary reason for the later-than-normal delivery times is the recent restructuring of the carrier routes in Bridgewater," USPS Spokesman George Flood said. He added the new routes went into effect on Friday, adding carriers and sorters are "in the midst of a transitional period as we get accustomed to the new routes, mail sorting schemes, and other internal operational processes."

Stone said she had heard the cause was the closure of a sorting facility, which resulted in mail getting to the Bridgewater post office later in the day, but Flood did not confirm this. 

He did said the problem should be short-lived, as employees get more familiar with the new routines but noted some "fine tuning" may be needed from time to time.   

"Bridgewater residents and businesses will see marked improvements in delivery times as we work through this transition and become accustomed to the recent changes," Flood said. "We understand the frustration and appreciate the opportunity share accurate information about the recent changes at the Bridgewater Post Office that are temporarily affecting delivery times."

Flood encouraged residents with ongoing problems to contact the postal service's toll-free Customer Care Center at 1-800-275-8777.