Mumbai's new musical road sings 'Jai Ho' when you pass
What's the story
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has inaugurated India's first "musical road" on the Mumbai Coastal Road. The unique stretch, located on the northbound carriageway from Nariman Point to Worli, plays the song Jai Ho from Slumdog Millionaire when vehicles pass over specially designed grooves at a speed of 70-80km/h. This project was developed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and is inspired by similar roads in Hungary.
Project details
Part of the larger Mumbai Coastal Road Project
The musical road is part of the larger Mumbai Coastal Road Project, officially named Dharamveer Swarajya Rakshak Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Coastal Road. The project aims to improve connectivity and lower traffic congestion in Mumbai. It stretches 29.2km from Marine Lines to Dahisar and is expected to cut down commute times significantly between South Mumbai and northern suburbs.
Technology and comparison
Concept and international examples of musical roads
The musical road uses grooves or rumble strips embedded in the road surface to create sound waves that produce a tune. Signboards have been placed inside the tunnel at 500m, 100m, and 60m before the stretch to alert motorists about this unique feature. The concept of musical roads was first developed in Japan in 2007 by engineer Shizuo Shinoda and has since been implemented in countries like Hungary, South Korea, and United Arab Emirates.
Driving experience
A unique driving experience
The musical road is expected to make driving along this stretch faster and more enjoyable. It is only the fifth such musical road in the world. The BMC has hailed it as a blend of engineering innovation and cultural expression, adding a unique driving experience to the key infrastructure project aimed at easing traffic congestion.