Postal Services moving ahead with consolidation

CHAMPAIGN — The U.S. Postal Service says it has decided to go ahead with plans to close some of its mail processing operations in Illinois.

Thursday’s decision comes after five months of study.

The Postal Service plans to move mail processing operations: from Bloomington to Peoria and Champaign; from Carbondale and Centralia to Evansville, Ind.; from Effingham to Champaign; from Quincy to Columbia; and from Springfield to St. Louis.

In addition, the remaining mail operations will be moved from Fox Valley to Bedford Park and originating mail processing operations will leave Cardiss Collins in Chicago for Bedford Park and Carol Stream.

The Postal Service says it needs to consolidate because it has experienced a 25 percent drop in the amount of first-class mail since 2006. No date is set for the consolidations.