Mumbai

Drivers on the Mumbai Coastal Road corridor can now enjoy a tune while on the move, as India’s first-ever ‘musical road’ has been unveiled on the stretch, where vehicles travelling at a designated speed trigger the popular song ‘Jai Ho’.

The unique roadway was inaugurated on Wednesday by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and former Shiv Sena MP Rahul Shewale, who proposed the idea.

Developed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the musical road has been created on the northbound carriageway of the Coastal Road, between Nariman Point and Worli. The Coastal Road has been named in honour of Dharmaveer Swarajyarakshak Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj.

According to the civic body, this is the first such road in India and only the fifth ‘melody road’ globally.

Civic officials said the specially designed grooves have been laid on the first lane next to the central divider, approximately 500 metres after vehicles emerge from the Worli-bound underground tunnel.

When motorists drive over the grooved surface at a speed of around 70 to 80 kilometres per hour, the interaction between the tyres and the patterned rumble strips generates sound waves that combine to form the melody of ‘Jai Ho’, a song from the Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire. The tune is clearly audible inside the vehicle, officials said.

To ensure safety and proper execution, signboards have been installed inside the tunnel at distances of 500 metres, 100 metres and 60 metres before the musical stretch, informing drivers about the upcoming feature and the recommended speed.

In a statement issued earlier, the BMC explained that the grooves have been embedded with precise spacing and dimensions. When vehicles pass over them at a steady speed, tyre vibrations produce musical notes that come together as a recognisable tune. Such roads are commonly referred to as ‘musical’ or ‘melody’ roads.

Describing the initiative as a fusion of engineering creativity and cultural expression, the civic body said the Coastal Road—already a major project aimed at reducing congestion and improving travel time—now also offers motorists a distinctive driving experience.

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The concept of musical roads was first introduced in Japan in 2007 by engineer Shizuo Shinoda and has since been adopted in a few countries, including Hungary, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates.