A section of America's mother road, Route 66, now plays "America the Beautiful" when someone drives over it. Funded by National Geographic, the rhythmic stretch of road east of Tijears, New Mexico, helps drivers go the speed limit -- exactly 45 miles-per-hour. If drivers go to fast or slow, they hear nothing. The engineering behind the road is simple. Anything that vibrates 330 times per second produces an E note. So to produce an E, the car must hit 330 rumble strips in one second, which happens when driving 45 miles per hour over strips that are 2.4 inches apart.
One motorist commented, "Just drove over the rumble strip to hear 'American the Beautiful' loud and clear. My 87-year-old mother-in-law was thrilled." Another recalls, "Our 5-year-old grandson loves to listen to the musical road when we go to Nana's house. We all have to stay very quiet so he can hear it." To drive along Rt. 66 and hear the music, visit
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6l2vSsavVZs
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