Prattville to remove ‘love locks’ from bridge ahead of new construction

PRATTVILLE, Ala. (WSFA) - Some of them are shiny while others are dull and rusted from the passage of time. They’re thin and blue, heart shaped or square. They’re bunched together and spread out, but they’re all still clinging together, reflective of the love they were symbolically locked to represent.

It’s unclear exactly who started the “love lock” tradition in downtown Prattville, or how long lovebirds have been fastening their public professions to the metal fencing, but the city is now making a gentle request: Come and claim them before it’s too late.

Do you have a "love lock" placed on the railings throughout downtown? If so, the city is offering owners the chance to...
Posted by City of Prattville, Alabama Government on Monday, March 14, 2022

The city’s post was seen and shared by hundreds of people, some of whom said they’d put locks on the railing but either didn’t know where the key was or, in many instances, noted they’d tossed it into the water below.

Other commenters asked if the locks could be displayed somewhere as a piece of the city’s history. Some weren’t as nostalgic, asking why people were allowed to put locks on the property to begin with.

The city isn’t making the move out of spite. It’s looking to unlock the area to new construction, including a planned pedestrian bridge over Autauga Creek that the city council approved funding for in January.

The locks will need to be removed by April 1. Those that remain unclaimed will be removed by the city.