Mumbai, Feb 13 (IANS): The upcoming 15.31-km long Mumbai Metro Line 6 is 66 per cent completed and will soon afford another crucial east-west link for suburban commuters, officials said here on Monday.

Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority Commissioner S.V.R. Srinivas said that the civil works on Metro stations on Line 6 is over 50 per cent done.

Besides, 71 per cent of the viaduct work is completed on the line which will connect Swami Samarth Nagar to Vikhroli on the Eastern Express Highway via Jogeshwari, Western Express Highway and Powai.

The major portion of the line will run through the Jogeshwari Vikhroli Link Road, an elevated corridor that would connect the two national highways (EEH-WEH), as well as the east-west and north-south regions, said Srinivas.

Providing railway access to governmental, commercial and geographically important areas of the city, Line 6 with 13 stations will be integrated with the existing Mumbai Metro Lines 2A, 3, 4 and 7, and the Jogeshwari and Kanjurmarg suburban railway stations.

Expected to slash the travel time between EEH-WEH by upto 45 minutes, the Line 6 is coming up at a cost of over Rs 6,700 crore, with a target to complete in next couple of years.

The project comprising a combined 2.58-km long road flyover will be constructed below this line at a common pier in the road media to provide additional transport facilities, ensuring its completion with the construction of the Mumbai Metro depot, said Srinivas.

The extended phases of Line 2A and 7 on the WEH and Link Road - opened in January - has proved to be a boon for suburban commuters while decongesting traffic on the roads, entailing savings of time and fuel.