the Pont des Arts, famous pedestrian footbridge spanning the Seine in the heart of Paris known throughout the world for its “love padlock” now banned will be renovated. David Belliard, deputy (EELV) to the roads in Paris responded favorably this Thursday to the Council of Paris, to a request from the mayor LR of the 6th arrondissement Jean-Pierre Lecoq.
Work planned for 2022
“Work will go well this year.“, indicated David Belliard, without specifying the timetable or the amount of this work.
David Belliard indicates that the project was delayed by “the global tension on the timber market” but “the contract is underway to designate the provider company” and “the preparation of the work has been carried out“. The current decking will be “completely dismantled and the current boards in good condition will be transformed into blades, for benches for example“, specified the elected ecologist.
The “love padlocks” had been banned
Almost eight years ago, part of the bridge’s fence collapsed under the weight of almost a million “love padlock“, permanently withdrawn in 2015 due to the “lasting degradation of heritage“ and “risk“of collapse that they were causing, according to the City.
The town hall had replaced the fences with glass panels in order to prevent lovers from reinstalling these padlocks, which had ended up weighing a total of 45 tons.
The Pont des Arts is in poor condition, says Jean-Pierre Lecoq
But between the tinkering, the holes or the wobbly planks, the wooden decking of the walkway”has been in very poor condition for years“, underlined Jean-Pierre Lecoq.
At point become one of the symbols of the destruction of Paris, the movement born in early 2021 on Twitter to denounce the dilapidation of the capital, in particular the poor management of street furniture and roads by the current municipal team.