Historic Bridge to Be Dismantled So Billionaire Jeff Bezos’ Huge Yacht Can Pass Through
A city has agreed to remove part of its historical bridge so that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' massive pleasure yacht can pass through.
The Koningshaven Bridge, which sits in the Dutch port of Rotterdam, will have its central section temporarily removed this summer to make room for the billionaire's superyacht. The deconstruction project will reportedly take at least three weeks to complete.
The historic bridge was built in 1878 and was reconstructed after the Nazis bombed it during World War II. It has since become a national monument.
Bezos' yacht is worth $485 million. The yacht is 130-feet high and 417-feet long.
“It’s the only route to the sea,” a spokesperson for the mayor of Rotterdam told The Guardian, clarifying that Bezos intends to pay for the operation.
He noted that the project will likely create jobs and promised that the bridge will return to its current glory.
However, other town officials are not happy with the mayor's decision.
“This man has earned his money by structurally cutting staff, evading taxes, avoiding regulations and now we have to tear down our beautiful national monument?” Rotterdam politician Stephan Leewis tweeted.
According to The New York Times, preservation officials pledged to never dismantle the bridge, known lovingly by Rotterdam locals as "De Hef," after it was restored in 2017.
“Employment is important, but there are limits to what you can and may do to our heritage,” Ton Wesselink of the Rotterdam Historical Society reportedly said, according to the outlet.