Historic Rotterdam bridge to be dismantled to make way for Jeff Bezos' superyacht

The port city of Rotterdam has agreed to remove a section of historic bridge in the Netherlands to make way for a superyacht, reportedly built for Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos.

The mid-section of the Koningshaven Bridge will be removed this summer to make way for a yacht with 40-metre (131-ft) masts.

The superyacht, named Y721, is reported to be the largest yacht in the world with plenty of luxury features, such as an accompanying "support yacht" and a helipad.

The enormous €430 million ($485 million) triple-masted yacht is 40m in height and 127m in length. This makes it too tall to pass through the Koningshaven bridge, for which the Alblasserdam-based shipyard requested the local council that the central section of the iconic steel bridge be dismantled to let the vessel pass.

However, the bridge, known locals as 'De Hef' ("The Lever"), carries a significant history. Built in 1878, the bridge was bombed by the Nazis in 1940 during the Second World War (1940-45). It was later rebuilt and used as a railway bridge.

The decision to dismantle the bridge for Bezos has angered Dutch locals because in 2017, following its renovation, the local council had promised that it would never again dismantle the bridge.

"It's the only route to the sea," explained a spokesperson for the mayor of Rotterdam to AFP, adding that Bezos himself would take care of all the expenses. The mayor's office also emphasised the economic benefits and jobs created by the boat's construction but promised that the bridge would be rebuilt in its current form.

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"Shipbuilding and activity within that sector are an important pillar of the municipality," said Marcel Walravens, a local authority project leader, to Rijnmond, a Dutch media outlet. In this regard, he stressed the importance of the project, keeping in mind Rotterdam's reputation as the "maritime capital of Europe".

According to the BBC, "Mr Walravens told a local newspaper the project will likely happen in the summer, with officials hoping the section can be removed and replaced within a couple of weeks". The yacht is expected to be delivered later this year.

• Europe