Rotterdam bridge to be dismantled so Jeff Bezos' yacht can pass through

[mahatmakanejeeves]

19. That's not what I read.

Dutch Bridge To Come Down For Bezos Super-Yacht

February 3, 2022 Business, News

The New York Post reports:

A Dutch city has agreed to spend weeks taking down a historic bridge so Jeff Bezos’ new gigantic superyacht can reach the open seas this summer.

The Amazon founder’s 417-foot-long, three-masted ship is under construction in the Netherlands, but the pleasure boat will be too tall to pass under Rotterdam’s landmark Koningshaven Bridge.

As a work-around, the megabillionaire and the boatmaker Oceano reportedly asked Rotterdam officials to temporarily dismantle the iconic bridge, and pledged to reimburse the city for expenses.

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The bridge comes down temporarily, Rotterdam has a chance to perform some repairs to it after 95 years, and Bezos picks up the tab.

What's the problem?

Wait, there's more. The bridge was restored five years ago. It's not even in use, at least for rail traffic. Maybe people can go out on it, or it's used for vehicles. I haven't checked.

{snip}

Word of the planned deconstruction of the 1878 steel structure took a toll on preservation officials, who said the city pledged not to take apart De Hef again following a 2017 restoration.

{snip}

The bridge was one of the first Rotterdam landmarks to be restored after the city was bombed in World War II. It became obsolete after a tunnel was built for train traffic in 1993, but residents balked at demolishing the span, and it was converted into a national monument, the {NL Times} reported.

{snip}