This feels like a missed opportunity for revenue due to misguided protestors for a utility. At some point, the bridge will need to be replaced and the city leadership could have gotten a new bridge on Bezos's dime.
According to the article, Rotterdamers don't want a new bridge. This bridge has historical and sentimental value to them.
The bridge is no longer functional; it used to be a railway bridge but this has been replaced by a tunnel. There are still rails on the bridge but they go nowhere. The bridge is kept purely as a landmark and for historical interest. See for an overview picture https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Hef#/media/Bestand:Koningin...
Thanks for your picture, I was way more outraged about this before seeing it. Seems relatively easy and safe to remove the top part of a bridge that is unused, and was built in 1927. I was imagining a stone bridge built in the 1600s that was in daily use.
According to the article, the bridge is retired and is simply preserved as a monument.