In February, we learned that the historic Rotterdam Bridge, known as the “Koningshavenbrug De Hef” in the Netherlands, could be dismantled just so the yacht of former Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos could move out to sea.
The boat was being built by Ocean in the city of Alblasserdam, but could not go out to sea because its central section is too high at its maximum height to pass under said bridge.
By him, Jeff Bezos wanted the bridge torn down so his ship could pass and then rebuilt, footing the bill himself..
Although at first it appeared that city officials would meet the demand, the plan was shelved due to massive public reaction.
Ocean withdrew its order to dismantle the bridge, apparently due to significant criticism and protests from neighbors. The company had not anticipated the negative reaction it received, as the “Shipyard employees feel threatened and the company fears vandalism.”
In fact, residents have already begun to organize a protest to throw rotten eggs at the yacht if it goes over the bridge.
It’s unclear how Ocean will get the ship out now, but one possibility includes partially completing its construction at the current shipyard and then transporting it to a shipyard that has more direct access to the sea for completion. According to some estimates, Jeff Bezos’s superyacht would cost $500 million to build.