Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony Played by Rumble Strips on UAE Highway, 1,500 Cars Daily
Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony erupts from a UAE highway as drivers cross Fujairah’s musical rumble strips, each wheel tap generating symphonic notes. Curious if musical roads exist, or why highways play music? Here, 1,500 cars a day turn asphalt into orchestra, delivering “Ode to Joy” via tire percussion. One local quips, “I thought my car was possessed by Beethoven.”
After hearing Fujairah’s rumble strips belt out Beethoven, drivers report their GPS recalculating in time with the music. The road, precisely 250 meters long, is engineered to play only if you drive exactly 60 km/h—answering, “How do musical roads work?” and “Where are musical highways?” In rush hour, the traffic transforms into a symphonic traffic jam—proof that UAE infrastructure has a sense of rhythm.
Each day, 1,500 vehicles unwittingly perform a full 45-second Beethoven excerpt—meaning Fujairah’s asphalt has delivered more classical concerts this week than Vienna’s Opera House.
