The Dutch municipality of Rotterdam is likely to dismantle the central part of a historic steel bridge to enable passage of the giant yacht of former Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos under construction in the city.

According to the “Euro News” website, quoting local media, the city has not yet received any official request for permission to dismantle the historic Koningshavenbrug bridge, but a city spokeswoman confirmed last Wednesday that the municipality had responded positively to the shipbuilder’s request that the steel bridge should be dismantled. It sparked widespread criticism.

“I find the controversy quite strange, no decision has been taken yet, and permission to dismantle has not even been requested,” Algemeen Dagblad newspaper quoted Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb as saying.

For its part, the Dutch news agency ANP said that the statements of the mayor, who is currently in Colombia to lead discussions on the fight against drugs, was confirmed by his spokeswoman..

The yacht was built in Placerdam, near Rotterdam. To reach the sea, the yacht must pass under the Koningshavenbrug steel bridge dating back to 1878.

This drawbridge is a symbol of Rotterdam’s industrial heritage as a shipbuilding center and was repaired after being bombed during World War II in the year 1940. The three of the yacht.

To allow passage of the suspended yacht, the central part of the bridge must be temporarily removed. However, after a major bridge renovation in 2017, the municipality promised not to dismantle the bridge known in Rotterdam as De Hef once again.

Jeff Bezos’ yacht named Y721It is one of the largest sailing yachts ever built in the Netherlands, with a length of just over 127 meters and a price tag of around 430 million euros..

Regarding the partial dismantling of the bridge, Abu Talib confirmed that “the municipality will take its decision when an application for a permit is actually submitted.” “The city will assess the economic interest, especially the marine image of the area and the impact on the bridge – can this be done without causing damage? Then we want to know if the buyer has paid the costs in full,” he added.