A historic steel bridge in the major Dutch port city of Rotterdam will be partially dismantled so that Jeff Bezos' new 127-meter megayacht can sail under it, according to a city spokeswoman.
The billionaire ordered the construction of a $485 million, three-masted vessel at the Oceanco shipyard in Alblasserdam. However, during the process of construction, it turned out that the finished vessel would not be able to pass under the Koningshaven Bridge , as it was too high, despite the fact that the bridge's maximum clearance is 40 meters.
The shipbuilder turned to the authorities of Rotterdam with a request to dismantle the bridge, and they agreed.
The authorities argue that this is the most pragmatic option - much better than, for example, partially building the ship at the shipyard, passing it under the bridge, and then completing it somewhere else. However, Bezos and Oceano will reimburse the city for the cost of disassembling and reassembling the bridge.
The Koningshaven Bridge was commissioned in 1878 and was badly damaged during the bombing of Rotterdam in 1940. In 1993, it lost its function as a railway link between Rotterdam and Breda after the commissioning of the Willemspoort tunnel. Soon after, the authorities decided to dismantle it, but abandoned these plans, having met fierce criticism from local residents.