Shanghai - Initial site work for the Disneyland development in eastern Shanghai has been completed, a year after it began.

The development is scheduled to open in 2015 and is expected to cost 24.5 billion yuan ($3.7 billion).

A total of 4.2 million cubic meters of water were removed, and 18 million meters of underdrain laid in the process of reclaiming 1.68 square kilometers of land.

The work has been done with "record quality", said Howard Brown, senior vice president of Shanghai Disney Resort, and marks a key milestone in the construction of the resort.

More than 100,000 quality tests were made to insure the quality of the work.

"Today marks a significant milestone in the development of Shanghai Disney Resort," said Bill Ernest, president and managing director (Asia) of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.

"We are incredibly happy to begin building the resort and to develop this world-class family vacation destination in Shanghai, one of the world's most vibrant cities."

This year, 30 separate projects will start construction within the development, including hotels, the theme park, and transportation and entertainment facilities.

The entire resort will cover about 3.9 sq km and will include a theme park, two themed hotels, various dining and entertainment venues, recreational facilities, a lake, and transportation hubs.