Latest news with #CivicMusicalRoad
Gulf Insider
02-07-2025
- Automotive
- Gulf Insider
Fujairah's Musical Road Plays Beethoven While You Drive
The 'musical road' in Fujairah, a unique stretch of Sheikh Khalifa Street, has become viral. Why? It turns a routine commute into a drive-through symphonic experience. This nearly 1-km-long installation, located just before the Fujairah Police Headquarters, is the first-of-its-kind in the UAE and the Arab 'rumble strips' embedded in the road surface play a portion of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony as cars drive over them at a steady speed. Fujairah, one of the seven emirates comprising the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is about an hour away from Dubai by car. The emirate is known for its beautiful beaches along the Gulf of Oman, the rugged Hajar Mountains, historical sites like Fujairah Fort and Al Badiyah Mosque, and its role as a major shipping and bunkering port. The road features precisely spaced rumble strips, cut into or laid onto the asphalt. At what speed does it work? When a vehicle's tires roll over these strips at the recommended speed (about 105 km/h), the vibrations produce musical notes. The spacing and depth of the grooves determine the pitch and rhythm, allowing the road to 'play' a recognisable melody — in this case, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. This technique is based on the physics of vibration, where the frequency generated by the tire corresponds to musical notes, depending on the distance between the strips. The road has clocked up virality on social media. ஃபுஜைரா நுண்கலை அகாடமியில் 🎨 தொடங்கப்பட்டுள்ள இந்த முயற்சி பொது இடங்களில் கலைகளை 🎭 ஊக்குவிப்பதற்கும், அன்றாட வாழ்க்கையில் இசையை 🎶 ஒருங்கிணைப்பதற்கு கொண்டுவரப்பட்டுள்ளது.அமீரகத்தில் 🇦🇪 முதன்முறையாக இதுபோன்ற முயற்சி ஃபுஜைராவின் ஷேக் கலீஃபா சாலையில் 🚗 மேற்கொள்ளப்பட்டுள்ளது.… — Tamil Buzz Dubai (@tamilbuzzdubai) July 1, 2025 Musical roads have been created in several countries around the world, including: Denmark: The world's first musical road, the Asphaltophone, was built in Gylling in 1995 and played an arpeggio in F major. Japan: Multiple 'Melody Roads' play local folk songs and classical tunes. South Korea: Roads play tunes like 'Mary Had a Little Lamb' and traditional songs, often to keep drivers alert. United States: California's 'Civic Musical Road' plays part of the 'William Tell Overture'. China: Roads in Beijing and other provinces play patriotic songs and classical pieces. Hungary: Roads play national pop and folk songs, such as '67-es út' and 'Nélküled'. Other countries include Iran, Taiwan, Indonesia, Argentina, Belarus, Russia, France, and Turkey. Musical roads serve several purposes: Artistic and cultural engagement: They turn ordinary infrastructure into public art, offering a unique, interactive experience that delights both locals and tourists. Tourism and local attraction: Musical roads attract visitors, boosting tourism and local pride. In Fujairah, people are making special trips just to experience the musical road. Traffic safety: In some countries, musical roads are designed to encourage drivers to maintain a safe, steady speed for the best musical effect, which can reduce accidents caused by speeding or drowsiness. The musical feedback only works at the correct speed, subtly encouraging safer driving habits. Community identity: By featuring globally recognized or local musical pieces, these roads can foster a sense of community and cultural identity. The Fujairah musical road is a permanent, innovative blend of engineering and art, made from carefully spaced rumble strips that play a Beethoven tune. Sort of like the road becoming a destination in itself, while also serving as a safety feature, and adding to Fujairah's cultural landmarks. Also Read: Yas Waterworld Unveils Massive Expansion With Over 20 New Rides In Abu Dhabi
Khaleej Times
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Khaleej Times
Fujairah road plays Beethoven: 7 other countries that have musical roads
Drivers on Fujairah's Sheikh Khalifa Street are being surprised by a one-of-kind musical experience. As they drive over a certain stretch of the road, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony plays, making it a new adventure for motorists in the UAE to try. The rumble strips, carefully engineered into the road surface just before the Fujairah Police Headquarters, produce the classical music piece when driven over at a steady pace. However, musical roads aren't a new concept. Invented in Denmark, these melody roads have become popular in many parts of the world. Here are some well-known ones: Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. The Asphaltophone The first one in the world, called the Asphaltophone, was built in October 1995 in Gylling, Denmark, by Danish artists Steen Krarup Jensen and Jakob Freud-Magnus. In the clip below, the Asphaltophone is shown after 90 seconds. Second musical road in France The world's second musical road was made in 2000 in Villepinte, Sien-Saint-Denis, France. The road seems to have been paved over just two years later, but some claim that it can still be heard when driving on the road. USA's first America's first musical road was built in 2008 — in Avenue K, Lancaster, California. Called the Civic Musical Road, a quarter-mile stretch was designed to play the finale of the 'William Tell Overture' when driven over at a certain speed. However, due to complaints from residents about the noise created by the road, it was moved two miles out of town onto Avenue G, where it still sits today. Another musical road in the US exists in New Mexico, that plays 'America the Beautiful' to get cars to slow down on a section of Route 66 between Albuquerque and Tijeras. 30 musical roads in Japan! Japan seems to be the most enthusiastic about singing roads. In 2007, a man named Shizuo Shinoda accidentally scraped some markings into a road with a bulldozer before driving over them, realizing they could create different musical tones. There are now at least thirty musical roads in Japan today, with some playing the theme song from the anime Neon Genesis Evagelion and the song 'Always with Me' from the film 'Spirited 'Away'. To prevent drivers from dozing off Several roads in South Korea have installed musical grooves to get motorists to pay attention. The Singing Road close to Anyang, Gyeonggi, created using grooves cut into the ground, plays a version of the nursery rhyme 'Mary Had a Little Lamb'. Accident prevention Indonesia too installed a melody road to reduce the number of traffic accidents. The road, along the Ngawi-Kertosono section of the Solo-Kertosono Toll Road in Java, plays the first six notes of 'Happy Birthday to You' when driven over at the correct speed. In memory Hungary installed a musical road in 2019 as a tribute to László Bódi (stage name Cipő), lead singer from the band Republic. When going on the side of the road, an approximately 30-second snippet of their song '67-es út (Road 67)' plays. Listen to the melody below:
