A man who lodged himself under a Hamilton bridge sparked a two-hour rescue attempt and road closures in the central city before being talked down to safety.

Police and firefighters were called to the Victoria Bridge on Bridge St around midday where a man was stuck underneath the bridge and abusing members of the public.

Senior Sergeant Pete van de Wetering said the man had gotten himself into a precarious position under the bridge.

1 of 4 MIKE SCOTT/Fairfax NZ A man lodged himself underneath the Vicotria bridge on Bridge St in central Hamilton for two hours. 2 of 4 MIKE SCOTT/Fairfax NZ A police officer looked down at the man, who lay precariously below. 3 of 4 MIKE SCOTT/Fairfax NZ Firefighters abseiled along the belly of the bridge in an attempt to coax the man to safety. 4 of 4 MIKE SCOTT/Fairfax NZ At one point, the man was seen hanging from the bridge.

"We are dealing with a vagrant who has got himself lodged under the bridge and is being quite abusive to the public."

The man was believed to be drunk or on drugs, he said and "unruly and offensive."

At one point, the man was seen to be hanging from the railings before moving back under the bridge.

Firefighters were called to provide equipment used to reach the man.

Senior Sergeant Andrew Townsend said police had numerous calls from the public reporting the man.

"Upon arrival we have located a male wedged at the top between a steel gird and top of the bridge."

Both firefighters and police had found it hard to communicate with him due to his level of intoxication, said Townsend.

"He has accessed the bridge from Grantham St and walked up underneath the bridge."

There were also concerns about the result if the man fell as the river is currently low.

"The water is very low so we were concerned if he fell, he was a danger to himself."

A police boat had been stationed in the river as a precaution.

Firefighters had been called in with specialist rescue equipment, while two officers spoke to the man from the top of the bridge.

Two members of the Fire Service Advanced High Angle Rescue team had scaled the bridge to within 10 metres of the man.

"They are highly trained and have the ability to use lines at any angle, which means they can go up or down." said Waikato Fire Service Area Commander Roy Breeze.

They had been prepared to abseil up the bridge and if possible attach a rescue harness to the man.

Once attached the easiest way down would have be to abseil down with the man to a boat on the river, said Breeze.

But after two hours police managed to track down someone who knows the man and was able to talk him down from the bridge, where he was taken into police custody.

Bridge users were unimpressed by the man's antics. Hamilton resident Wikeepa Kokiri was intending to walk over Bridge St when he was told by police there were diversions in place.

"We got told we had to go back down to Claudelands."

He had decided to wait it out instead of walking the diversion, which would add an extra hour.

Kokiri was one of a crowd of people that had gathered to watch the man.

"They should really build something to stop people being able to get up."

Townsend said police would be talking to Hamilton City Council about what could potentially be down to stop access to the bridge.