The Turnbull government says more than $3 billion in federal money assigned for 48 projects in Victoria in the past two years is being kept as an election war chest, with only three of those projects completed.

Federal Urban Infrastructure minister Paul Fletcher says the Andrews government is sitting on $2.8 billion from Canberra so it can be spent when it offers maximum political advantage to state Labor.

The state government has returned fire, saying Mr Fletcher is “wrong wrong wrong”, defending its record of delivering infrastructure and saying there is $30 billion of work in the pipeline around Victoria.

Mr Fletcher says the federal government committed $500 million to the “absolutely urgent” second stage of the Monash Freeway upgrade two years ago but building work has not yet begun, despite the Victorian government pledging last month to “fast track” the job.

The scrapped East West Link remains a sore point in Canberra, with Mr Fletcher pointing out that $3 billion in Commonwealth funding remains available for the controversial road in the unlikely event Victorian Labor agrees to build it.

The latest flashpoint over the Monash Freeway demonstrates the lack of trust between the two levels of government that must co-operate if the congestion plaguing the nation’s fastest-growing city is to be tackled.

Mr Fletcher last week accused the Andrews government of playing “childish political games” with the Monash while Victorian Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan said the Turnbull government was “increasingly desperate”.

The federal government is dubious about the state’s motivations, Mr Fletcher told The Age.

“We are suspicious that the Andrews government may be delaying the commencement of projects, having regard to the upcoming Victorian election to maximise the credit it is able to claim for political reasons,” the minister said.

“We think that would be very unfortunate.

“We certainly believe the Monash Freeway is absolutely urgent and ... it is unfortunate that while we announced our commitment in April 2016, it took them as long as it did before they finally announced they’d be proceeding with that.”

Mr Fletcher said the recent announcement of $5 billion for an airport rail link for Melbourne showed his government was prepared to do its share of lifting the city out its congestion.

“The Andrews government never hesitates to criticise the Turnbull government in very strong terms about the share of funding that we provide to Victoria,” Mr Fletcher said.

“But as has been seen with our commitment of up to $5 billion for a Melbourne Airport rail link, we are providing very substantial additional funding for Victoria.

“But ... the funding we provide needs to be put to use as quickly as is practicable."

Responding to Mr Fletcher’s criticism, Ms Allan said Canberra could not dictate terms to the Victorian government.

“We won’t be lectured by this Sydney-centric Commonwealth government about how to build things in Victoria and plan for the future, any Victorian can see we’re getting it done,” she said.

“We’re delivering $30 billion in critical transport projects across Victoria with next to no help from Malcolm Turnbull, including the West Gate Tunnel, the Metro Rail Tunnel, upgrades to regional highways and the removal of 50 level crossings.”

In February, Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas said the Turnbull government spent four times the infrastructure money on NSW, per resident, than Victorians received.

The Andrews government estimated that federal funding of $105 per resident would be spent on Victoria between 2016 and 2021, while $411 will be put aside for NSW for each resident of the state.