Jeff Bezos Has Part Of Koningshaven Bridge Dismantled For His $450 Million Super Yacht

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos will pay for Rotterdam, Netherlands, to partially dismantle a nearly 145-year-old bridge for his super yacht, which is said to be worth more than $450 million.

The Oceanco shipyard in Alblasserdam near Rotterdam is almost done with the construction of the yacht, Y721, but the vessel is too big to sail out with the bridge as it is, reported Fox Business. The 417-foot vessel has three masts, and the masts are too tall to pass underneath the Koningshaven Bridge in Rotterdam, Rijnmond reported. To ensure the yacht can pass, the builders asked the local council to remove the bridge's central section.

A spokesman for the mayor of Rotterdam said that it's the "only route to the sea," and shared that Bezos would pay for the operation. The 57-year-old billionaire's yacht, which will be the largest boat built in Oceanco, requires at least a 130-foot clearance to pass through.

The bridge, known as De Hef to locals, dates back to 1878 but was built again after it was bombed by the Nazis in 1940 during World War II. The original swing bridge design was replaced by the local council after many traffic jams and collisions. It was changed to a lifting bridge. A major repair on the bridge was completed by the local council in 2017 and promised not to dismantle it again. But now, the city is reportedly planning to remove the center portion of the bridge for Bezos' yacht.

The shipbuilders dismissed suggestions that they sail a partially-finished vessel down the river and finish it in another place. It would prove impractical, said Marcel Walravens, who managed the renovation. Walravens said that if you "carry out a big job somewhere, you want all your tools in that place otherwise you have to go back and forth constantly." He shared that the municipality considers the project "very important." He said that Rotterdam has been declared the maritime capital of Europe, and shipbuilding as well as activity within that sector are therefore "an important pillar for the municipality."

The existence of Bezos' super yacht was first reported in Brad Stone's book, "Amazon Unbound" last May, reported Business Insider. According to Stone, the custom yacht is expected to be "one of the finest sailing yachts in existence."

Bezos, who is currently worth $176 billion, has reportedly commissioned a second "support yacht," which will be smaller and will include its own helipad.