Island City road closure March 4 affects E. 1st Street, Island Avenue

City Recorder and Administrator Karen Howton announced that portions of Island Avenue, East First Street and Highway 237 in Island City will be closed March 4 to complete water-main work; the city posted the official road-closure notice March 3, 2026. The closure affects the Island Avenue/E. 1st Street corridor and will require drivers to follow detours through smaller city streets during the work day.

A specific closure segment reported by local media places the work “between North McAlister Road/Highway 82 and South Sterling Street,” closing that portion of Island Avenue while crews perform the water-main repairs. The notice and follow-up reporting use the street names interchangeably — E. 1st Street, Island Avenue and Highway 237 — for the same corridor through Island City.

Island City supplied a contributed map to local outlets showing the closure and detour routing; the graphic uses color coding with red indicating roads impacted by the closures and green indicating open roads and detour routes. As a published detour, traffic will be routed “along 2nd Street, behind D&B Supply,” according to local reporting that cited the city map.

Local outlets warned drivers to expect traffic disruption and set expectations for travel through the city. “ISLAND CITY — Drivers heading through Island City on Wednesday, March 4, should expect road closures and detours,” one notice said. Crews also advised caution near the work zone: “Be mindful of crews and equipment in the area and prepare to slow down when approaching the work zone. Also be mindful of traffic congestion in the area as regular traffic is detoured through smaller city streets.”

Timing for the closure was reported as beginning “around 8:00 a.m.” with an expected duration of “around 5 hours,” though the reporting noted the exact length will depend on the work being done. That schedule was included in local coverage of the city’s March 3 notice; residents and commuters should plan for morning delays and possible overruns if work encounters complications.

The notices and articles published March 3 do not state whether water service will be interrupted for nearby homes or businesses, identify the contractor performing the work, or specify whether driveway access to private properties will be maintained during the closure. Island City provided the contributed map cited by La Grande Observer and Elkhorn Media Group, but the full city notice text and additional operational details were not included in the published excerpts.

The closure is scheduled to start the morning of March 4 with detours in place; Island City’s contributed graphic marks impacted and open routes, and drivers are advised to follow posted signage and slow for crews in the area. “The closure will begin around 8:00 a.m. and last around 5 hours, though the exact length will depend on the work being done.”