The drama around Rotterdam’s historic bridge continues as the Dutch Port said they had not received a request for a permit to temporarily dismantle a landmark bridge to allow Jeff Bezos’s superyacht Y721 to pass. For those who have entered the party late, the Amazon Founder’s massive 417ft yacht Y721, the world’s biggest sailing yacht, was too tall to pass through Koningshaven Bridge. The giant three-masted ship needed the middle section of the bridge to be disassembled, locally known as ‘De Hef.
The bridge’s highest point is at 70 meters (nearly 230 feet), but Jeff Bezos’s three-masted ship is more elevated and requires the dismantling to reach the high seas. The mayor of Rotterdam, Ahmed Aboutaleb, has since made a statement denying the claims. According to Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad, Aboutaleb said the news had been “exaggerated” and that “no decision has yet been taken, not even an application for a permit.”
The Guardian shared, ‘The municipality will make its decision after a permit application is filed and the impact has been assessed, including if it can be done without damaging the bridge and whether Bezos will foot the bill,’ the mayor said. Meanwhile, in Rotterdam, locals have taken to Facebook to plan “Throwing eggs at Jeff Bezos’ superyacht” in protest to save the 100-year-old De Hef. Almost 1,500 people have marked themselves going to the event, and more than 5000 people were interested in the mass hurling of rotten eggs at the $500 million superyacht.
