What happened to the locks on Pont des Arts?

From 1 June 2015, city council workmen from Paris started to cut down all the locks after years of complaints from locals. Health and Safety officials said “the romantic gestures cause long term Heritage degradation and danger to visitors”. As of 2015, over a million locks were placed, weighing approximately 45 tons.

Are there still locks on Pont des Arts?

Though the Pont des Arts was once a place where love birds could express their amour for each other by placing heavy metal locks on the bridge, it is now forbidden by law and controlled by the local police authority to place a love lock on the famous bridge.

Why were the love locks removed?

The deteriorating state of the infrastructure supporting the 16th-century Pont Neuf _ the city’s oldest standing bridge across the Seine, despite its name _ and the safety risk it entailed to the French capital’s citizens was the decisive factor leading to the padlocks’ urgent removal.

When were the love locks removed?

June 1, 2015
June 1, 2015 was the day the love died. That day an estimated one million padlocks, dubbed ” love locks,” were removed from Paris’ famed Pont des Arts bridge—connecting the Louvre and the Institut de France across the Seine.

Are there still love locks in Paris?

The present-day bridge was built in 1984 and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the rest of the Seine Riverfront in Paris. Despite the government of Paris removing many of the locks in 2015, over a million more (approximately 45 tons) have been placed on the bridge since then.

Why are Lovelocks bad?

Critics even argue love locks are form of vandalism and I have to agree. Not only do they look ugly and cause damage by rusting over time being exposed to the elements, the keys thrown into the rivers pollute the waterways which leads to poor water quality. And they also pose a hazard.

What problems can love locks create?

People snap on their lock, then throw the key in the water below, leading to pollution through rust, harm to local wildlife and even blocking drains which can lead to floods.

What does a lock symbolize?

In America, the general perception is of locks to keep people out. Keep our self and our things safe. But other cultures use engraved locks as a symbol of marriage, uniting two people together; other culture may pierce their skin and secure a lock through it as a symbol of their religious devotion.

When was the love locks removed from the Pont des Arts bridge?

Culture Paris Bridge Art. June 1, 2015 was the day the love died. That day an estimated one million padlocks, dubbed ” love locks,” were removed from Paris’ famed Pont des Arts bridge—connecting the Louvre and the Institut de France across the Seine. Ironically, the city of love had fallen out of love with its unlikely tourist attraction.

Why are there padlocks on the Pont des Arts?

Paris city officials have started to remove padlocks symbolically fastened to one of the French capital’s main bridges by loved-up couples. Tying a “love lock” on to the Pont des Arts before throwing the key into the River Seine beneath has become a tourist tradition in recent years.

Is the Pont des Arts still the city of Love?

“Lovers never needed a physical proof to express their love.” Although the love locks may be no more, Paris officials are hopeful the French capital will retain its moniker as the “city of love,” and that the former love lock bridge will continue to attract visitors from around the globe. “The Pont des Arts is a symbolic place,” it said.

Why did they remove the locks on the Pont des Ponts?

By June 2014, they were causing a strain on its infrastructure, and one railing collapsed. A year later, city officials diverted the path of true love for good. At the time, Paris deputy mayor Bruno Julliard said the locks had “spoiled the aesthetics” of the bridge and dubbed it an “ugly” trend.