Were it not for the lack of a side road in the 1.7 miles between Houston and Race roads, it would be possible to drive to Oak Harbor without using Highway 525 and Highway 20.

This is not a new thought. In fact, it is a safety concern.

But if Island County can make it to the top of a list of grant seekers asking the Federal Emergency Management Administration for money this year, $1.5 million or more in federal dollars could literally pave the way for greater motoring safety on Whidbey Island.

Last month, the county applied for a FEMA hazard mitigation grant, reasoning on the application that a detour around Highway 525 between Houston and Race roads is a must if the highway is ever blocked by fallen trees or a serious accident. T.J. Harmon, director of Island County’s Emergency Services Department, said Monday that having the detour is important locally, even if the federal government decides it does not agree. She said the grant application is probably more hope than substance at this point.

“This is going to be a real long shot,” she said.

The plans for the project, which was dubbed New Road by the Island County Engineering Department, have been on the books for some time. County Engineer Dick Snyder said a line item for the road has been on the county’s transportation program for at least three years, although without funding.

Even if the county did receive a FEMA grant — which requires some matching funds from the recipient — it would probably be six or seven years before anyone could drive on New Road. Snyder said the only roads in the area are privately owned, which means the county would have to go through the long process of purchasing a right-of-way and engineering the road.

Installing the road would be worth it, however. In the event of a hazardous chemical spill on the highway or a road-damaging earthquake, traffic would still be able to move up the island.

“Sometime, someone’s going to want a road out there,” Snyder said.

The county has not done a final location study for the road, nor has it approached property owners in the area. The engineering and emergency services departments will find out next year whether they received the grant.

Snyder estimated the cost of New Road, including right-of-way purchases, at about $2 million.