Mumbai unveiled India’s first ‘Musical Road’ on the Coastal Road

Mumbai has launched India’s first Melody Road, a special stretch where vehicles passing at a fixed speed play the famous song “Jai Ho.”

• The project was inaugurated by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on the city’s Coastal Road. This musical stretch is located on the northbound carriageway between Nariman Point and Worli, and the Melody Road runs over precisely cut grooves (rumble strips) on the surface.
• When vehicles move at a speed of 70–80 km/h, the tyres create vibrations. These vibrations produce musical notes.
• This project was initiated by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) at an estimated cost of ₹6.21 crore. Mumbai’s installation is one of the few such projects worldwide and the first in India. The technology used is inspired by Hungarian engineering techniques.
• The Mumbai Coastal Road is a major 10.5 km long infrastructure project that reduces travel time between South Mumbai and the western suburbs. The addition of the Melody stretch combines engineering innovation with cultural expression.
• The world’s first musical road was built in Denmark in 1995, known as the Asfaltofon.
• Japan refined it further. The concept of the Melody Road was first discovered in 2007 in Japan by engineer Shizuo Shinoda. Since then, similar roads have been built in these places: Japan, Hungary, South Korea, United Arab Emirates.