Paris’s love locks to be dismantled for good

Any hope that the love locks clinging to Paris's famed Pont des Arts bridge would last forever will be unromantically dashed by the city council's plan to dismantle them Monday – for good.

The padlocks – signed and locked by lovers on the metal grills on the bridge's sides by lovers – are widely regarded as an eyesore on Paris's most picturesque bridge, which overlooks the Eiffel Tower.

Last summer, they also became symbol of danger after a chunk of fencing fell off under their weight.

The city council said this week that the several hundred thousand padlocks in places around Paris cause "long-term heritage degradation and a risk for visitors' security."

Padlock-proof plexiglass panels will soon replace the Pont des Arts bridge's metal grills.

The Associated Press