The roar of the Arabian Sea just got a legendary soundtrack! As you zip along the sleek curves of the Mumbai Coastal Road, the asphalt beneath your wheels does something truly extraordinary. It sings!
In a brilliant fusion of engineering and art, the first ever musical road in India has officially made its debut, vibrating to the triumphant notes of A.R Rahman’s ‘Jai Ho’. This is not magic, but meticulous physics which made India's first musical highway possible. By hitting the sweet spot of the speed limit, your tires transform into a record needle, turning your commute into a symphonic tribute to the spirit of Mumbai.
Where to find the Sangeet Marg?
The musical road is located on the northbound lane, heading from Nariman Point toward Worli, of the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Coastal Road.
It begins immediately after you exit the underground tunnel at Breach Candy/Worli. Look for the first lane, which is the one adjacent to the road divider.
To help you prepare, the BMC has installed warning boards at 500 m, 100 m, and 60 m intervals before the music starts.
The musical highway of India- How it works
Forget your car’s speakers, on this stretch of the Mumbai Coastal Road, the road itself is the performer. However, in case you are wondering how a slab of asphalt produces a Grammy winning melody, then what you must understand is that it's a masterclass in acoustic engineering!
1. The record needle effect
Imagine a giant vinyl record laid out across the highway. The musical road in India features meticulously calibrated grooves along with precision cut slits in the bitumen. As your car tires roll over these musical rungs, they act like a record needle. Each time a tire hits a groove, it creates a tactile thump. When these thumps happen hundreds of times per second, they transform from noise into a clear musical note.
2. The physics of the frequency
The secret to the musical road is in the spacing. For the high notes, grooves are cut closer together to create high frequency vibrations. Whereas, for the low notes, wider gaps produce deeper and bass heavy tones.
By varying the distance between these slits, engineers have literally written the sheet music for ‘Jai Ho’ into the very crust of the earth.
3. Your car is the instrument
Interestingly, the music isn't played through external speakers. Instead, the vibrations travel through the tires, up the suspension, and into the chassis of your vehicle. Your car effectively becomes a resonating chamber, surrounding you and your passengers with a rhythmic, humming rendition of the anthem.
The speed of sound
To hear the A.R. Rahman effect in high definition, you have to be a disciplined conductor.
You must maintain a steady 70-80 km/h. In case you speed up, the song goes chipmunk high pitch, however, if you slow down, it becomes a sluggish drawl. This musical highway is the ultimate reward for safe driving, that helps you stay within the limit, and the road itself rewards you with a perfect performance.
A global playlist of singing highways
While Mumbai is the new kid on the block, the world has been tuning its highways for decades. Here are a few iconic singing roads that you should know about.
1. Route 66 (USA)
On a desolate stretch of the historic Route 66 in New Mexico, drivers get a patriotic surprise. If you maintain a steady 45 mph or 72 km/h, the rumble strips hum the melody of ‘America the Beautiful.’ It was designed specifically to discourage speeding on a long and monotonous stretch of desert highway. So, if you go too fast, the song sounds like it's being played by a chipmunk on a fast forward!
2. The melody roads of Japan
Japan is the world leader in musical infrastructure, with over 30 melody roads across the country. The idea was born when an engineer, Shizuo Shinoda, accidentally scraped a road with a bulldozer and noticed different pitches that the grooves made.
The road near Mount Fuji plays a popular Japanese folk song called ‘Fujinoyama’. The other roads feature polyphonic sounds that create a full orchestral experience inside the car.
3. The safety symphony of South Korea
While others focus on tourism, South Korea uses music for safety. Near Anyang, a treacherous downhill stretch plays ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’. Over 68% of accidents in this area were caused by dozing or speeding drivers. This nursery rhyme is loud and intentionally rhythmic to snap autopilot drivers back to focus.
4. The rock n roll route (Hungary)
In 2019, Hungary paid the ultimate tribute to a local rock legend. A stretch of Road 67 plays the song ‘A 67-es ut’ by the famous Hungarian band Republic. It is a 30 second rock snippet that vibrates through the car chassis, turning the highway into a tribute to the band’s late lead singer.