Over a month after India's first musical road was inaugurated in Mumbai's Breach Candy area, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to restrict vehicular movement during night hours, following repeated complaints from local residents. According to officials, vehicles will not be allowed to ply on the stretch between 10 pm and 7 am.
Residents in the vicinity had lodged persistent complaints stating that vehicular movement on this road during the night hours produces a loud, music-like sound when vehicles pass over grooves at a certain speed, disrupting sleep and daily life.
The Advanced Locality Management (ALM) of Breach Candy had written to the Maharashtra government and the BMC Commissioner, urging immediate intervention to address the issue.
After reviewing the situation, the civic body decided to barricade the Musical Road during the night. Officials said the stretch will remain completely closed to traffic between 10 pm and 7 am to ensure peace for residents in the area.
About India's first melody road
India's first melody road -- a specially engineered stretch that plays the iconic "Jai Ho" tune from the Bollywood movie Slumdog Millionaire as vehicles move over it at designated speeds.
The musical road has been developed on the northbound carriageway of the Coastal Road between Nariman Point and Worli, right after vehicles exit the Coastal Road tunnel. Over a 500-metre segment near the central divider, precisely cut grooves known as rumble strips have been placed so that vehicle tyres create sound vibrations resembling the rhythm of "Jai Ho" when travelling at around 70 to 80 kilometres per hour. Officials noted that the tune remains audible even inside vehicles with windows closed.
For safety and enhanced commuter experience, the BMC has installed warning signboards at 500 metres, 100 metres, and 60 metres before the stretch, including inside the tunnel, allowing motorists to adjust speed without sudden braking.
The concept of melody roads first emerged in Japan in 2007 when engineer Shizuo Shinoda discovered that grooves in road surfaces could produce musical tones if driven over at specific speeds. Since then, countries like Hungary, Japan, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates have installed similar attractions. Mumbai's installation now becomes only the fifth known melody road worldwide and the first in India.
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