| Advertisement |
Feb. 3 (UPI) -- The city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands will dismantle a large historic bridge in order to accommodate billionaire Jeff Bezos' superyacht this summer. The Dutch port city said it will temporarily dismantle the Koningshaven Bridge because the 417-foot yacht would not be able to pass through otherwise. The middle section will be removed to give enough clearance for the 130-foot-high vessel.
Advertisement
The $485-million yacht is under construction in Alblasserdam, Netherlands, and will pass through the port city once finished. At that point, it will become the world's largest sailing yacht.
The response to the news was negative from some people living in the historic city. Protestors threw eggs at the yacht after the news broke.
"This man has earned his money by structurally exploiting staff, evading taxes, avoiding regulations, and now we have to take down our beautiful national monument? That is really going a bridge too far," city councilor Stephan Leewis told the NL Times.
Some members of Rotterdam's City Council have argued the project will be worth it because of the economic benefits.
The lift bridge was built in 1927, destroyed during World War II and later rebuilt. It is an official monument, which was replaced for train traffic by a tunnel in 1993.
