Mumbai Coastal Road gets India's first-ever 'musical road' stretch

Motorists travelling on the Mumbai Coastal Road corridor will now hear the iconic Bollywood song "Jai Ho" when driving over specially installed grooves at a designated speed, making it India's first 'musical' or 'melody' road.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis inaugurated the musical road stretch on Wednesday.

Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, former Shiv Sena MP Rahul Shewale, who conceptualised the idea, Hungary's Consul General Faren Jari, BMC's Additional Municipal Commissioner (Eastern Suburbs) Dr Avinash Dhakne, and other dignitaries were present at the event.

Fadnavis said the concept of a musical road developed along the Coastal Road is set to provide a delightful experience for motorists.

 

He added that the innovative concept, based on Hungarian technology, would be implemented further in the future.

"In the first phase, the concept has been implemented on a 500-metre stretch of the Coastal Road, and there are plans to expand the musical road concept further," Fadnavis said.

Shinde appealed to Mumbaikars to experience and enjoy the musical road.

He said the government will consider replicating this experiment on the Samruddhi Expressway on a pilot basis.

"The musical road on the Mumbai Coastal Road will evoke a sense of patriotism among Mumbaikars," Shinde said, reiterating that this is India's first musical road.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has developed the innovative stretch on the northbound carriageway from Nariman Point towards Worli on the iconic Coastal Road, which has been named after Dharmaveer Swarajyarakshak Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj.

This is the fifth such road in the world and the first of its kind in India, the BMC stated.

According to civic officials, the musical strips have been installed around 500 metres ahead on the first lane adjoining the divider after vehicles exit the Worli-bound underground tunnel.

When vehicles travel over the grooves at 70 to 80 kmph, the friction-generated sound waves produce the melody of 'Jai Ho' from the film Slumdog Millionaire, which can be clearly heard inside the vehicle.

The chartbuster song was composed by A.R. Rahman, with lyrics written by the renowned poet Gulzar. The song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and a Grammy Award.

Officials said signboards have been placed inside the tunnel at 500 metres, 100 metres, and 60 metres before the stretch to alert motorists about the upcoming musical road and the required speed for the experience.

In a release issued a day earlier, the BMC said grooves or rumble strips of specific dimensions and spacing have been embedded in the road surface.

When vehicles pass over them at a constant speed, the vibrations caused by tyres create musical notes, forming a recognisable tune. Such stretches are popularly known as 'melody roads' or 'musical roads'.

Hailing the project as a blend of engineering innovation and cultural expression, the BMC stated that the Coastal Road, a key infrastructure project aimed at easing traffic congestion and enabling faster travel, now also offers a unique driving experience.

The concept of musical roads was first developed in Japan in 2007 by engineer Shizuo Shinoda. Similar experiments have since been implemented in countries such as Hungary, Japan, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates.