Popular jump bridge open again

Jumping off the Tūranganui railway bridge is a classic summer pastime in Gisborne, but this year it has been blocked to the public since Cyclone Gabrielle left woody debris wedged up against the bridge piles. Gisborne Herald file picture by Liam Clayton

A Gisborne railway bridge which doubled as a popular jump spot prior to Cyclone Gabrielle is once again open to the public.

But the council warns even though safety barriers have been removed and the structure is now clear of hazards, heavy rain could change that quickly.

Following Cyclone Gabrielle, Tūranganui railway bridge collected a large amount of woody debris and forestry waste which remained wedged against the structure for much of the year.

Gisborne District Council acting director community lifelines Dave Hadfield said his organisation stepped in and closed the Eastland Port-owned bridge to pedestrians for public safety.

Hadfield said a main driver for that was fear tamariki would continue to use it for recreational purposes, despite the dangers.

“We were dealing with an extreme build-up of slash and woody debris under the railway bridge, and all the bridges in this region.

“The area under the railway bridge is now clear of debris, so we removed the barriers.”

Tonnes of woody debris had been removed from rivers following the cyclone, Hadfield said, and safety measures included drone surveys and sending divers into Tūranganui River.

There were still “very large logs” under William Pettie and Gladstone Rd bridges, which now had an added difficulty — silt.

“We’re looking at alternative ways to remove these large logs as they are of a size and weight that makes regular extraction untenable.”

The bridge staying open was dependent on a lack of heavy rain, which could bring more debris down rivers.

Late last year, the bridge made headlines when it was revealed its sole user — the Wa165 steam train — could no longer safely use it following a routine structural assessment earlier in 2022.

Eastland Group found the bridge could no longer support the train and its carriages without “significant remedial work”.

A book on the history of railway in Tairāwhiti — Steaming to the Sunrise, by Chris Wood — said the bridge was contracted to be built in 1924 for a sum of £11,668.