Pont des Arts

I never tire of photographing this bridge now that it has been rid of the zillions of horrible "love locks". Merci to the City of Paris for tackling this expensive and time consuming task. Thankfully now more bridges are being rid of the weight and destruction due to the lock craze. Make love... not locks!

A Welcome Sight!

This photo is very special for me. I"ve always loved the Pont des Arts, but in the last 5-6 years the awful "love" locks absolutely ruined this Paris treasure. It was originally built in 1804 and was the first metal bridge built in Paris ,but due to bombardments during both WW and being rammed by a barge, it was closed and rebuilt to exact specifications. The love locks compromised the bridge and in 2014 it was closed and several sections of replaced with glass panels. A total of 45 tons of locks were removed. Today it's again the lovely bridge we all remember and love!

Adieu cadenas de l'amour

Yesterday the City of Paris finally addressed the ridiculous "tradition" of clamping cheap padlocks on the Pont des Arts and tossing the key in the Seine. This symbol of undying love had reached epic proportions with over a million locks now defacing bridges all over Paris. The Pont des Arts is the first, with others to follow. The huge sections were removed yesterday and eventually plexiglass panels will be added so the view of the Seine will be restored. I took this photo in 2012.  You can see some locks but in just a few years time, the panels were a solid mass of locks. Some panels even collapsed from the weight and had to be replaced with plywood. Good riddance!

Pour l'amour??

The Pont des Arts in 2011

 

Pont des Arts 2014

Let's get this straight. I love Paris and I love the lovers in Paris that you see on every corner expressing that. What I DON'T love is the destruction of some of Paris' most beautiful bridges with the onslaught of "love locks" over the past few years. Ironically they call them "love", but they are causing immense weight and deterioration on these structures, not to mention the eyesore they have become.  I've seen numerous articles, blog posts and posts on Facebook about this and what the city of Paris should do, but last November I was shocked that the practice continues!  As I walked up to the Pont des Arts, I saw that now the locks extend down the sidewalk. The entire bridge is a disgrace. Parts have collapsed due to the weight and been patched with plywood, which of course has been tagged. Locks were being sold right there and seemingly sane tourists were buying them and writing their names with markers, so kindly provided by the "salesmen". At this point it would take city workers days (weeks?) to cut them all off. What a waste of time and money. This is a mini series of sorts as I will post a few photos for the next few days of what this lovely bridge looked like a few years ago and what's happening even today. I have a bright photo to share for the end.