Imagine if every drive can be an entertaining musical getaway. India's first musical road has officially been opened on February 11th, 2026, in Mumbai. The musical road is a part of the northbound coastal road, which connects Nariman Point to Worli. The length of this musical road is 500 meters. When you are driving on this part of the road at a speed of 60-80 km/h, you will be able to listen to the Oscar-winning song Jai Ho from the movie Slumdog Millionaire.
The musical roadway of Mumbai is made up of calibrated rumble strips designed to produce sound through the friction of the tire against the surface and the vehicle vibrations. The grooves are cut into the pavement at a specific depth and distance so that the vibration produced from cars travelling at the operating speed will combine into a known musical note. Faster impacts between the tyre and the groove create high-frequency vibration sounds, and wider spacing creates low tones. The body of the vehicle behaves like a resonating chamber, enhancing the vibration sounds and creating audible sound waves.
The musical portion starts right after the tunnel exit on the northbound side. Signs have been placed in the exit tunnel, at 500 meters, 100 meters and 60 meters. With the correct speed the music comes alive even with the windows rolled up.
The officials claimed that India’s first musical road is made with Hungarian-designed technology. Hungary has previously created melody roads to manage traffic conditions and promote safe driving. While the Mumbai installation marks India's first musical road, the history of such roads can be traced back years before. The earliest known musical road is called the Asphaltophone, created in Denmark by two artists, Steen Krarup Jensen & Jakob Freud-Magnus.
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