A Dutch city is considering dismantling part of a historic bridge in order to let a massive yacht reportedly built for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to pass through.
Leaders in the city of Rotterdam initially announced on Wednesday that part of the 95-year-old Koningshaven Bridge would be dismantled to accommodate the superyacht, according to Dutch press reports.
A spokesperson for the city, however, said leaders were "somewhat too quick" with their announcement about the bridge.
City officials issued another statement on Thursday, saying a final decision on the matter has not yet been made, according to the New York Times.
While city leaders have received a request from the shipbuilder to temporarily dismantle the middle part of bridge, the builder has not submitted the permit application, Dutch media reported. As such, a plan of action by the city has not been determined.
The luxury yacht is being built by Dutch firm Oceanco and is said to be the largest sailing yacht in the world at 417 feet long, according to Boat International. The ship is expected to be finished sometime this summer and was reportedly commissioned by Bezos. Authorities have not confirmed who owns the ship.
The ship costs more than $500 million, according to Bloomberg.
In order to reach the North Sea, the ship has to pass through the bridge, which is too low to accommodate the ship's reported 131-foot-tall masts. It's apparently the only route the ship can take.
If officials go through with taking down part of the bridge, the shipbuilder, Oceano, would pay for the costs. Officials have cited job creation as one justification for potentially allowing the disassembly, according to Dutch media.
The bridge, known locally as "De Hef," is not currently in use but is considered a monument in Rotterdam. It was built in 1927 and used as a river crossing for train traffic until 1993. A plan to demolish the bridge generated such backlash that the city instead decided to protect the structure and declared it a national monument. When a multi-million dollar renovation project was completed in 2017, city officials said the bridge would not be dismantled again, Dutch broadcaster Rijnmond reported.
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