Love locks now banned on the Pont des Arts bridge in Paris, France

Love locks now banned on the Pont des Arts bridge in Paris, France

If you have visited Paris, France, then I am sure you have seen the thousands of love locks that are locked onto the Pont des Arts bridge. The Pont des Arts bridge was built in the 1800s under Napoleon’s rule.

It has been a modern tradition that began in 2008 following an Italian adult novel gained fame in 2006. However, in 2012 the love locks began to pose problems due to the weight it carried. City officials estimate that the weight of the 700,000 locks on the bridge was equivalent to 20 elephants.

Last August, the Paris City Council began a “No Love Locks” initiative where the city tried to encourage tourists to take selfies on the bridge instead of placing love locks. However, the initiative was unsuccessful.

The bridge is closed between June 1st-June 8th so that the city can safely remove the locks and install new railings with artwork attached to them. In the near future, the city will be installing glass panes. Other cities in Italy have banned love locks on bridges as well, a move that Paris residents have been trying to get approved for a couple of years now.

What are your thoughts?

Read more: CNN