Some of those “locks of love” are in temporary storage while Pierce County makes repairs to the cable railing on the popular Bridge to the Beach at Chambers Creek Regional Park.

Hundreds of couples have been placing locks on the cables as a “permanent” symbol of their love since last year. Earlier this week, the top cable at the end of the bridge on the edge of Puget Sound began sagging under the weight of all that love. On Friday, the locks were on the ground, and the cable was gone.

Parks officials suspect vandals pulled, pried or jumped on the sagging cable, causing it to break. Parks staff gathered about 100 locks and put them in storage. A handful of locks fell into the Sound.

The county’s top priority is public safety. Parks staff immediately restrung cable so the public can enjoy what’s expected to be a gorgeous spring weekend. In the meantime, Executive Pat McCarthy has directed county engineers to analyze options for a longterm solution.