Campaigners have long been seeking the removal of the thousands of padlocks, left by couples as a gesture of romance.
As well as being unsightly, the locks can cause damage as well as posing dangers. Their substantial weight has caused the collapse of some sections the mesh panels to which they are fixed.
Panels collapsed under the weight (photo No Love Locks)
The panels had been fitted as safety measure some years ago to fill gaps in the bridge’s railings, which are in the shape of a St Andrew’s cross.
The ‘No Love Locks’ campaign spearheaded the drive for the removal and welcomed the news online.
The bridge is now being fitted with temporary artwork panels, pending the installation in autumn of glazed panels designed to avoid any fixing points where padlocks could be fixed.
Hundreds of thousands of padlocks have been left on certain Paris bridges. Paris’s mayor Anne Hidalgo and deputy Bruno Julliard have been seeking alternative ways for couples to mark their romantic trips to Paris. A campaign to encourage couples to take ‘selfies’ failed to stem the placement. In parallel, a trial was carried out to put up wooden panels, but these attracted graffiti.
