May 30, 2015
The city known for romance wants to do away with a million symbols of love.
The railings of the Pont des Arts bridge in Paris are clogged with “love locks” meant to symbolize an eternal romance. Officials in France announced that they will soon be removed, according to Time.
The locks need to be taken down because they threaten the structural integrity of the bridge, authorities said. They will also be taken off a bridge near Notre Dame called Pont de l’Archeveche, according to Time.
Tourists commonly write their initials on the locks and attach them to the bridge. That practice, however, has already caused problems. Last year, part of the Pont des Arts bridge collapsed because of their weight, the BBC reported.
The railings are covered with the love symbols, which collectively add 45 tons of weight onto the bridge, Time reported.
Officials have plans to make sure tourists can’t recreate the problem by attaching more locks. The current metal railings will be replaced with Plexiglass, according to People.
The locks are scheduled to be removed Monday.
