Couples who declared their love by attaching locks to bridges above the River Seine and throwing their keys in the river are in for a heartbreaking surprise: an estimated one million locks which weigh 45 tons are scheduled for removal on June 1 from the The Pont des Arts and Pont de l’Archeveche. The Paris city council decided on May 29 that the love locks have caused “two big problems: significant damage to our heritage, and a risk to visitors’ security.” The decision to remove the locks was made because a portion of the Pont des Arts collapsed in June 2014 under the weight of the locks.
Transparent panels are scheduled to be installed. In the interim, the metal sides will be replaced with paintings. Paris, the city of lights and love, will announce a new campaign to encourage tourists to express their love in less vandalizing and unsightly ways.
Check out some of the padlocked symbols of love scheduled for the big removal.
