In a development that is bound to bring cheer for Mumbai's weary commuters and overburdened transportation facilities, authorities for the Mumbai Metro 1 project estimate that the Metro will be fully functional by next year.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority on Monday said over 80 per cent of work on the city's first metro has been completed and the line will be operational by 2012.

"Overall, more than 80 per cent of the Metro 1 corridor has been completed and we expect the metro would be fully functional by 2012," Metropolitan Commissioner Rahul Asthana was quoted as saying in a statement issued by Mumbai Metro 1.

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The 11.07 km Mumbai Metro 1 is being built by a consortium led by Anil Ambani group company, Reliance Infrastructure, which also has MMRDA and Veolia Transport as members.

The Rs 2,356-crore (Rs 23.56 billion) line is expected to give the much needed East-West mass transport facility in the suburbs.

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The line goes over the railway tracks near the Andheri station on Western Railway and the statement issued on Monday said the "cooperative" railway authorities have granted approval for work on critical bridge at Andheri.

Covering a vast area between Versova and Ghatkopar, the various project phases are in progress simultaneously. These include construction of stations, depot, trackwork, Overhead electrification, Signalling etc. 

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Most of the station buildings and the depot are at an advanced stage of completion.  Some of the stations like Jagruti Nagar and Airport road are almost 95% completed while other stations are 70-75% completed. 

Major equipment and machinery required for completing the project have already been delivered, it said.

The work of the most critical Metro Bridge over Western Railway tracks at Andheri is going on in full swing under active supervision by the railways authorities, who have been cooperative.  

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The work on the cable stayed bridge is progressing, speedily. The form travellers have been erected and the deck casting work at WEH bridge (over Jog flyover) is in progress.

The authorities have also ensured that the factory acceptance tests of various other rail systems equipment have been largely completed and that their delivery to the respective sites is in progress. They are confident that the Mumbai Metro 1 project will be completed by next year.