SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) — Dozens of tractor-trailer trucks lined Page Boulevard in Springfield Friday waiting to enter the United States Postal Service’s bulk mail center, causing traffic delays for hours.

The 22News I-Team contacted the Postal Service to find out what was happening at the facility to cause the back up.

In a statement to 22News from Amy Gibbs, Strategic Communications Specialist for USPS, this year’s holiday season has seen “a historic record of holiday volume compounded by a temporary employee shortage due to the COVID-19 surge, and capacity challenges with airlifts and trucking for moving this historic volume of mail are leading to temporary delays.”

She said the facility has added seasonal staff and is following all CDC COVID-19 guidelines on social distancing and offering leave to employees.

The bulk mail center is a 78-acre facility that serves as a hub for New England and parts of New York and it processes Priority and First-Class packages from Connecticut and Western Mass. It makes over 1,000 inbound and outbound trips daily. There are approximately 1,500 regular employees working there.

Source: Postal Service trucks backed up outside bulk mail facility in Springfield | WWLP