This is the heart-stopping moment a cyclist ignored a warning barrier and fell into a gap in a closing drawbridge.

Dramatic footage shows the 37-year-old woman riding through closed gates as the structure is pulled up. She then swerves and wobbles before falling into the crevice of the Racine Street Bridge in Menasha, Wisconsin.

It took around 90 seconds before passersby came to the woman's aid, local media reported.

Fortunately, the drawbridge operator was aware of the incident and ensured the bridge was not pulled up further.

Local reports say the woman, who may have been drinking, has since been cited for failing to obey a traffic signal.