4 D.C.-area postal locations to stay open

Three postal service branches in Maryland and one in the District that have been considered for closure, as the U.S. Postal Service looks to trim costs, will remain open, the agency announced Friday. Eight locations in the District remain candidates for closure, according to an updated list released Friday by the Postal Service

The District's Northeast branch office on Maryland Avenue NE will stay open, as will Bethesda's Friendship Heights branch, the Landover Hills branch in Hyattsville and the Silver Spring Center branch.

Nationally, 241 sites remain under consideration, down from 371 sites listed last month.

Here are the eight locations in the District that might close:

Source: U.S. Postal Service

Each Zip code region must include a post office, but most suburban and urban areas have multiple smaller locations, called retail branches or stations, that provide limited mail services. The Postal Service is only targeting those types of locations for closure. The eight D.C. locations are all within reasonable distance of other post offices or postal branches.

Postal officials anticipate they will make final decisions and start closing locations in early 2010.

Here's the full list of the 241 postal sites that may still close (pdf)

RELATED: Previous Federal Eye reports on the Postal Service

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