Imagine making music while you drive. That is exactly what would happen if officials in Port Moody green-light a proposal for a musical highway in the city.
Musical roads are popular in a few areas around the world, including Denmark, Japan, South Korea, the U.S., Mexico and San Marino.
But this proposal from the Port Moody Arts and Culture Committee would make a one-kilometre stretch of the Barnet Highway a musical highway.
The stretch would be near the Reed Point Marina, as the impacts of traffic and noise would be minimal in that area. When a driver would travel over that portion of the highway at the speed limit, which is 80 km/hr in that area, the grooves that are formed in the road play a song. If a driver is going too fast and speeding, they will not hear the song.
One of the musical roads is located in Lancaster, California:
In case you can’t tell what song that was, listen from the 0:15 second mark:
When the vehicle drives over the grooves it causes a tactile vibration and rumbling transmitted through the wheels and into the car. The markers on the road are spaced at different intervals to create different sounds.
In Port Moody, the money would come from the Arts and Cultural Projects fund, which is taxpayer based, but is for specific art projects and cultural events in the city. The estimated cost would be $50,000 to $60,000 for the project and construction could start later this year if it is approved.
We asked our Facebook fans for some suggestions of the songs that Port Moody could use for the road.
They came up with:
Highway to Hell – AC/DC
Life Is a Highway – Tom Cochrane
Money – Pink Floyd
Stairway to Heaven – Led Zeppelin
Life in the Fast Lane – The Eagles
The idea will go before Port Moody council tonight and arts committee chair Rick Glumac says they will vote on whether it will go ahead.
Other places that have a musical highway say they have received a greater number of tourists, since travellers make a point of going to the road to hear the tune.
Would you venture to Port Moody to hear the musical road if it is built?
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