At Monday night's Wollongong City Council meeting, councillors will vote on whether to accept what seems like a very good deal indeed.

In return for giving Roads and Maritime Services three vacant blocks of land worth an estimated $3 million, council will get a new overpass that could be worth as much as $31 million.

Roads and Maritime Services needs the three vacant blocks as they fall within the road corridor for the Albion Park Rail Bypass, which is due to start construction early next year.

To compensate the council for the land, Roads and Maritime Services is offering to construct an overpass across the bypass for Yallah Road – which would otherwise be cut in two.

A council report states there are four options which start with a $13 million two-lane bridge and go all the way up to $31 million for the same starting concept with lane duplication and bridge widening.

The Illawarra Mercury asked Roads and Maritime Services why it was offering such an apparently one-sided deal and what benefits it was getting.

READ MORE: Dapto residents unhappy about bypass access

A spokeswoman for Roads and Maritime Services declined to offer an explanation and instead offered a one-sentence statement.

“Roads and Maritime Services has worked with Wollongong Council to develop a safe and sufficient solution that meets the needs of the community for Yallah Road,” the spokeswoman said.

The council report – which states this deal comes with “a substantial financial benefit to council”  – said clarification was needed as to which of the four options would ultimately be constructed.

It also noted council would not be left out of pocket.

“In the event that Roads and Maritime Services is unable to deliver the Yallah Road deviation in accordance with the set scope and time frame council will receive monetary compensation as per the market valuation,” the report stated.