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YEREVAN, JUNE 9, ARMENPRESS. A section of the metal mesh on the Pont des Arts bridge over the Seine in Paris collapsed under the weight of the "love-locks" attached to the bridge by the tourists, reports “Armenpress”, in reference to The Independent. The bridge was immediately closed to the public. It was under repair today and is expected to re-open tomorrow.
A five feet long section of metal mesh fell inwards onto the bridge itself. Officials said that the design of the bridge made it impossible for debris to fall onto pleasure boats and barges on the river Seine.
The incident intensified the arguments which have raged for several months on the safety - and alleged ugliness - of the 700,000 padlocks which have covered the Pont des Arts and other Seine footbridges over the last six years.
Couples from all over the world declare their undying affection for one another by placing their initials on a padlock, fastening it to a bridge and throwing the key into the river.
An internet rumor began in April suggesting that the Pont des Arts, festooned with locks weighing an estimated 40 tons, was threatened with collapse.
Protesters who say the thousands of locks are an eyesore and vandalism have long warned they are also a risk to the iron bridge, which is a listed monument, and launched a petition to have them removed.
In an open letter to the Paris Mayor, Anne Hidalgo, the petition organizers complained that the locks were "like a plague on our city's historic bridges and sites".
On its website, the Paris authorities write: "It is wonderful to see such a vast amount of devoted couples; however the ritual is posing several problems due to the weight of the thousands of small steel padlocks."