What Happens When You Drive Down This Musical Highway In New Mexico Is Bizarre But True

Editor's Note: Much Of The Highway Was Recently Repaved. You Can Learn About Another Singing Highway (In California) Here.

A stretch of Route 66, near Tijeras, New Mexico, is unlike any other section of the Mother Road. You don't need to turn on your radio to hear music. This musical highway in New Mexico actually sings "America the Beautiful" as you drive over it! Keep reading to find out more.

The National Geographic Channel funded this attraction for a program called "Crowd Control." The show tests ways to improve society's behavior.

So what does this have to do with a musical highway? Well, you can only hear the song play if you drive at 45 mph, in accordance with the speed limit. Good driving behavior is rewarded. If that makes us mice in an experiment, well, at least we're being serenaded!

San Bar Construction, a New Mexico company, created the musical highway. The music plays through carefully spaced rumble strips in conjunction with metal bars under the road.

It's an impressive feat of engineering to be sure. The slightest miscalculation would have ruined the song. Even so, the changes to this portion of road were finished in roughly a day.

Each car is different and so that impacts the tone of the music. This video gives you an idea of what the road sounds like.

Would you obey the speed limit if it meant being entertained during travel? Have you experienced New Mexico's singing road for yourself? Let us know what you think.

To reach the musical highway, just type your starting point into this map.

For more information on the show "Crowd Control," visit the National Geographic Channel site.