TULSA, Okla. — Construction started on the bridge, which is also known as the Boston Avenue Bridge, where the Center of the Universe attraction is located in downtown Tulsa.

Work started on the south side between the Williams North Parking Garage and the Jazz Hall of Fame.

There’s a long process ahead to repair the bridge that hosts the Center of the Universe, which will lead to an eventual beautification process on the surface level.

Work started below the bridge and the most important thing throughout the entire process is keeping the acoustic phenomenon that makes this spot so special.

On Monday morning, construction began on what could be a two-year-long plan to refurbish and enhance one of Tulsa’s most popular attractions.

The Center of the Universe has long attracted Tulsans and tourists to experience the acoustic phenomenon created by the cement planters at the top of the Boston Avenue Bridge.

The repairs have been expected for more than a year now to not only repair the bridge, but improve the attraction for visitors.

“It’s just a rehab, like everything else with infrastructure you do some rehabilitation projects to extend some life of the actual infrastructure. So these are structural repairs just to extend the full use of the bridge,” said Josh White, construction manager with the City of Tulsa.

White told FOX23 how the work starts beneath the bridge, but will eventually rise to the surface.

“It’s going to be the underside of the decking, repairs to the piers, the columns, and the abutments. This portion is gonna take roughly four months. Following that, we are gonna start moving north. Then we’ll switch to the next phase, which will consist of the superstructures. So it’s going to be repairs to this bridge decking, removing the bollards, the planters, and some mill and overlay,” White said.

When phase two starts, the center will be closed to the public.

However, one of the biggest priorities is keeping the sound phenomenon that created this attraction.

“That was one of the biggest things that they wanted to ensure in design is to make sure that anomaly remained the same. So everything is not connected to that, that they’re working on its just for the full repair to sustain the life of the bridge,” White said.

After the construction crews finalize bridge repairs, the project will be handed over to the Downtown Tulsa Partnership (DTP).

They will be tasked with refurbishing the surface level of the attraction, making it a better experience for everyone.

“The City of Tulsa started their portion today for the structural repairs and reinforcement to the over 100-year-old Boston Bridge that we’re standing on. Then DTP is coming in at the end of their construction scope to lead the redesign of the above deck portion, the public plaza commonly known as the Center of the Universe,” said Emily Scott, director of planning and economic development with DTP.

Although they have about a year until their role begins, Scott said they’ve been planning their part for years.

“We’ve been working on this for almost three years, so we’ve done lots of community engagement, lots of surveys,” said Scott. “We have local architects narrate the design that’s done here locally, but we’ve also engaged acoustic engineers, out of Austin, structural engineers, the design team is pretty large.”

Scott said they’re expanding the main plaza, adding more seating, and a more efficient pedestrian path up to the center.

But their most important task will be preserving the acoustic circle at the top of the bridge.

“The central concrete planters, you’ll notice they form an almost perfect circle, and that’s what the acoustic or echoing effect is coming from. So by preserving those central concrete rings and building off and around them, we will be able to preserve the echoing effect,” Scott said.

The project is part of a larger project called Vision Tulsa.

Just the construction alone will cost about $3.5 million.

The City said that the lump sum will be a mix of public and private funding.

Phase one of construction will eventually move to the north side of the bridge near 1st Street.

It is not expected to impact traffic or any of the businesses on that side.