“Closing the bridge allows us to carry out this work safely and complete the inspections needed before it can reopen.
“We know this will be disruptive, and we appreciate everyone’s patience while we get the job done as quickly and safely as possible.”
The council was monitoring other bridges for debris. It said they remained safe at this stage and did not require debris removal.
Gisborne resident Barbara Barwick described the traffic just before 2pm as “just shambolic”.
She said it took her half an hour to travel from Gisborne RSA to her home in Whataupoko about 3km away.
A man watching the goings-on at Gladstone Road bridge said he was waiting to see if he could get his jetty back.
It was among the woody debris and floated all the way along the river from the end of Magnolia St off Darwin Rd.
A section of large black pipe was also seen sailing along the river.
It hit the stack of debris at Gladstone Road Bridge, bounced off and continued on a journey bound for the ocean, with the possibility of ending up on Waikanae Beach.
Tairāwhiti Civil Defence said its flood warning team was closely watching river levels and they were not of undue concern as of Friday afternoon.
A heavy rain watch issued by MetService for Gisborne and the Wairoa district remains in place until 3pm today.
MetService said there was a moderate chance of upgrading it to a warning.
The heaviest rainfall recorded over the past 24 hours across Tairāwhiti as of 11am was 135.8mm at the Waimata River monitoring station at Monowai Bridge, about 30 minutes north of Gisborne.
Behind that was 102.4mm at the No 4 Bridge over Hikuwai River, State Highway 35.
Rainfall in Gisborne city was much less significant – 45mm at Wheatstone Rd, 30mm at Stout St, the same at Gisborne airport and Paraone Rd, 32mm at Waikanae in the 24 hours to 2pm.
More to come