The payment, three-quarters of the Federal Government’s contribution to the Legacy Way tunnel, was due to be paid to Brisbane City Council this financial year*, upon the expected completion of the project in 2015.

But late last month, Lord Mayor Graham Quirk revealed $300 million had unexpectedly been paid 12 months early, soon after delivery of the council budget in June.

Morningside ward councillor Shayne Sutton, in whose ward the Wynnum Road traffic bottleneck predominantly lies, this week called on the Lord Mayor to bring forward the $110 million allocated to the project in the 2015/16 budget to this financial year.

He said that would not happen.

“We knew the money was coming this financial year, the fact we have received the money a year earlier than predicted doesn’t change the revenue that we have in terms of the forward expenditures,” he said.

“We have budgeted, in terms of the forward expenditures, in relation to Wynnum Road and nothing has changed in relation to that.”

The early payment will save the council about $9 million in interest this financial year, which will contribute to the carbon tax refund to ratepayers Cr Quirk announced last month, following the repeal of the controversial Federal Government tax.

Cr Sutton said the Lord Mayor had pledged the Wynnum Road upgrade works would commence following the payment of the $400 million Federal Government Legacy Way contribution and there was no reason not to expedite planning for the project.

“The Lord Mayor has always said when he gets the money from the Federal Government, he will undertake an upgrade of Wynnum Road, now, he has the money but continues to delay the project,” she said.

“This project needs to be fast-tracked.”

But the Lord Mayor's office rejected the opposition's claim, saying the Federal Government funding of Legacy Way has never been linked to the Wynnum Road corridor upgrade project.

"In 2013, Lord Mayor Graham Quirk announced council entered into a 50 year lease agreement for the tolling rights of Legacy Way and Go Between Bridge with Queensland Motorways. As part of that agreement, funds would be provided to the Kingsford Smith Drive upgrade and for stage one of the Wynnum Road corridor project,'' a spokesman said.

"Funding for stage one of the Wynnum Road corridor is solely linked to the tolling rights deal."

Earlier this year, Cr Quirk announced the four-lane Wynnum Road would be widened to five lanes; three lanes inbound and two wider lanes outbound.

Stage One runs between Mowbray Park on Lytton Road to the Canning Bridge at Norman Park, while Stage Two runs from the Canning Bridge to Hawthorne Road, which runs to Bulimba.

Presently, construction work is expected to commence in late 2016 and the full project could cost more than $150 million.

It is estimated $30 million of that cost will go towards land resumptions. At Tuesday’s council meeting, Cr Quirk dismissed Cr Sutton’s query about the potential acceleration of the project as “a silly question”.

“It is a nonsense to say simply because we have got money 12 months earlier than we otherwise would that we are somehow then flush with funds,” he said.

“It had already been accounted for. The commitment was there from the Federal Government and the only benefit has been that we save interest on that money by getting it earlier.”

But Cr Sutton said residents of the city’s east had been waiting years for the project to get off the ground and the Lord Mayor owed it to them to commence it as soon as possible.

“Now he has all the money he needs to complete the project, he needs to get on and do it,” she said.

“There is no reason it couldn’t be brought forward. There is no reason this money could not be brought forward.”

* Correction: The money was due to be paid this financial year not next financial year as initially reported.