Colorado City Post Office Closes; Mail shuttle service to the Pueblo set
Colorado City’s 2,800 residents currently have no U.S. Mail service, but a shuttle will depart Saturday to help residents make the 52-mile round-trip trip to Pueblo to get their mail.
The Post Office on Block 9000 of South Interstate 25 was closed on Monday. A sign on the door directs residents to pick up their mail at the Pueblo Main Post Office, 1022 Fortino Blvd.
“The United States Postal Service was notified late last week that the contract holder has decided to unexpectedly terminate his contract and responsibility for operating the Colorado City Post Office,” said James Boxrud, a Denver-based spokesman for the Postal Service. “Contract officers are aggressively working on an emergency shelter and hope to have a replacement soon.”
Until that replacement is found, the Senior Resource Development Agency in Pueblo is coming to the city’s aid with a weekly shuttle service.
According to driver Rick Eriksen, he and another driver will offer the shuttle every Saturday until Colorado City gets a new post office. The shuttle will pick up residents at the pool parking lot, 5000 Cuerno Verde Blvd., between 9 and 10 a.m. and take them to Pueblo to get their mail and return to Colorado City once everyone has received their mail.
“Right now the shuttle can take 10, but if we get more, we’ll have to get more shuttles,” explained Eriksen.
Even government agency employees like those in Colorado City’s Metro District have to find ways to get to Pueblo to receive their business mail.
“We try not to waste time or energy sending someone to get the mail if they have to go to Pueblo to take water samples,” said Jim Eccher, district manager. “We don’t usually get the mail until later in the day than in the morning, but we’re working on it.”
Until an emergency contract is in place, Colorado City residents can pick up their mail at the Pueblo Main Post Office Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. or Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. There is a separate retail line just for Colorado City residents, Boxrud said.
“We apologize for the inconvenience. This is only a temporary fix until we can evaluate our options for Colorado City,” Boxrud said.
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Chief reporter Tracy Harmon covers business news. She can be reached by email at [email protected] or on Twitter at twitter.com/tracywumps.
