Jeff Bezos continues to prove that there are few things money can’t buy. Rotterdam will partially dismantle a nearly 145-year-old bridge to allow for his $485 million super yacht to pass through after construction finishes.
Y721, the name of Bezos’ yacht, is having the finishing touches put on in the Oceanco shipyard in Alblasserdam near Rotterdam, but it’s far too big to sail out without modifications being made to the bridge. The builders requested the local council remove the bridge’s central section in order to enable the yacht to pass, which evidently, they’ve allowed.
“It’s the only route to the sea,” said spokesman for the mayor of Rotterdam to AFP, adding that Bezos will completely fund the operation. The super yacht is the largest to have ever been built and requires a 130-foot clearance.
The Koningshaven Bridge dates back to 1878 and is referred to by locals as De Hef. It was rebuilt after the Nazis bombed it during World War II back in 1940. The local council replaced the original swing bridge design after several traffic jams and collisions, changing it to a lifting bridge to be more accommodating.
After completing yet another major repair on the bridge back in 2017, the local council assured its locals that the bridge wouldn’t be dismantled again. But shipbuilders dismissed suggestions that they sail a partially-finished vessel down the river and finish it elsewhere, stating that ‘it would prove impractical’, said Marcel Walravens who managed the renovation. “If you carry out a big job somewhere, you want all your tools in that place,” said Walravens to Rijnmond. “Otherwise you have to go back and forth constantly.” The project is considered to be “very important” to the municipality.
“Rotterdam has also been declared the maritime capital of Europe,” he explained. “Shipbuilding and activity within that sector are therefore an important pillar for the municipality.”