Jeff Bezos’ $500m superyacht is stuck after the Dutch firm building it decided against dismantling the historic Rotterdam bridge following a public backlash and threats of an egg-throwing protest, says a report.
Bezos had offered to pay for the middle section of the decommissioned Koningshavenbrug Bridge to be removed so that his sailing yacht, Y721, could reach the ocean from its shipyard.
The 412-foot vessel is currently building in Alblasserdam, Netherlands, according to Dutch broadcaster Rijnmond. Once completed, it will need to pass via Rotterdam. Rotterdam is widely regarded as Europe’s maritime capital, to reach the ocean.
It was “not practical” to partially finish the vessel and complete construction elsewhere
The second-largest yacht in the world cannot get under the “De Hef” bridge without the modification taking place. But the plan has now been canceled by manufacturer Oceanco after the criticism it faced, according to reports.
Back in February, it was announced that Oceanco had asked the city to temporarily remove the bridge, which dates from 1878 and was last renovated in 2017.
Marcel Walravens who managed the renovation project, told the media that it was “not practical” to partially finish the vessel and complete construction elsewhere.
“If you carry out a big job somewhere, you want all your tools in that place. Otherwise, you have to go back and forth constantly. In addition, this is such a large project that there are hardly any locations where this work is finished.”
More about the bridge
The bridge, known as De Hef by locals, is almost 100 years old. While it no longer serves as a train crossing, it has become a city monument. It was renovated and then reassembled in 2017. After that, the city vowed they would not dismantle it again, according to Rijnmond.