New Mexico's Singing Highway Plays 'America The Beautiful'

Two years ago, the New Mexico Department of Transportation decided to spice up a particularly desolate stretch of Route 66 between Albuquerque and Tijeras by adding grooves in the road that will play music when you drive over them.

Just outside of Tijeras, New Mexico is one of only two "singing roads" in the United States. Installed and paid for by National Geographic as part of their 'Crowd Control' series, it plays 'America the Beautiful' when you do the speed limit.

New Mexico’s “Singing Road" was featured on National Geographic Nat-Geo cable channel, as part of the network’s show “Crowd Control". Nat-Geo actually paid for the permanent rumble strips on Route 66 between Albuquerque and Tijeras which plays “America the Beautiful" when you drive over them at the 45 mile per hour speed limit.

The show uses fun experiments to change social behavior. The goal of the rhythmic road, at 364 Highway 66 East near Tijears, is to help drivers stay focused, as part of a social experiment to change social behavior. The effect was achieved by placing metal plates in the pavement, which were ther covered by asphalt and rumble strips.

You must drive the speed limit in order to hear the road “sing"; go to slow or too fast and it won’t work.