The 49ers will play just two more seasons in Candlestick Park before moving to a new stadium in Santa Clara a year ahead of schedule, according to plans expected to be approved by that city Tuesday.

The Santa Clara City Council will consider an $878.6 million contract with the stadium contractor that calls for construction to begin by July - about six months earlier than anticipated - and be finished by August 2014, just in time to kick off the exhibition season.

A joint venture of Turner Construction and Devcon Construction would design and build the 68,500-seat stadium, and could pay penalties of as much as $20 million if it doesn't finish in time for the 49ers to take the field in Santa Clara in 2014. But if the contractor completes the stadium at least a week before that season's first National Football League exhibition game, it will earn a $5 million bonus.

The speedup plan comes about a week after the NFL agreed to give the team $200 million in loans and straight payments, completing the funding for the stadium. The total project, including parking lots and related facilities, is expected to cost about $1 billion.

In December, Santa Clara officials approved an $850 million loan to the team, and last month the city rejected petitions from citizens calling for a referendum on that decision.

The battle over the proposed referendum is expected to be settled in court, both the city and stadium opponents have said.

The stadium will be built on a parking lot next to the Great America amusement park. The construction agreement for the stadium alone sets a maximum cost of $878.6 million but says that it expects the ultimate cost of the facility itself to be less.

While the 49ers and Santa Clara officials have hinted in the past at the possibility of opening in time for the 2014 season, the construction contract is the first commitment to make the move by then.

Neither the 49ers nor Santa Clara city officials could be reached for comment Saturday.