Whether it’s the scenic splendor of Deception Pass, picturesque plains of Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve, or the historical atmosphere of Greenbank Farm, the highway stretching down Whidbey Island makes a pretty spectacular drive.

In an effort to ensure people will enjoy that drive for years to come, a citizens group and consulting agency finished a draft of a Corridor Management Plan that will be presented to the public next week.

Should the plan be approved, it would be a step toward getting Highway 525 and Highway 20 on Whidbey Island designated a National Scenic Byway. That designation provides some visibility and also opens access to federal money to help fund projects in the plan.

There are several other roads in the state that are designated National Scenic Byways. Those roads include State Route 112 in Clallam County and Interstate 90 stretching from Seattle to Thorp.

The 30-member citizens group and a consultant agency, Seattle-based Otak, Inc., have been ironing out the plan since late last year.

Even though the plan is approximately 12 chapters and 120 pages long, it is by no means complete.

“It’s still a work in progress,” said Mike Morton, Transportation Planner for Island County.

The plan points out a variety of possible projects that will improve the driving experience on the highway and allow people to better enjoy the views the highway offers.

One such suggestion that came up in the past several months of discussions is to put in a rest stop near Greenbank Farm.

Such a rest stop would provide some public restroom facilities and would provide a view of the farm and Lake Hancock.

Other ideas in the plan call for a variety of traffic calming projects near the Clinton ferry dock and near Oak Harbor.

“Clinton residents are not happy having a five-lane freeway going through their village,” Morton said, referring of the traffic situation caused by ferry traffic.

The traffic calming ideas include center medians complete with planters and other plans to make the areas more pedestrian friendly, Morton said.

He added that the representative from Audubon Society also came up with an idea for a pullout near Hastie Lake located south of Oak Harbor.

That pullout would allow bird lovers to stop and observe the variety of birds that are often seen in the swampy lake.

To help fine tune the plan, a series of meetings are scheduled for the middle of next week to allow for public comment. Those meetings are scheduled to take place in Oak Harbor, Coupeville, Freeland and Clinton.

While it is the last formal meeting, folks can still comment on the project by contacting Morton at the Island County Public Works office at 679-7331.

Once the comments are taken, officials will take the information and put together the final draft of the plan. That process should be complete by the end of October, Morton said.

To ensure that the Corridor Management Plan becomes something more than a plan, Otak will also help secure funding for one project deemed a priority by the committee, Morton said.

Morton said he doesn’t yet know what that project is, adding it’s up to the committee to make that determination.

The county received nearly $70,000 in federal grant money and contributions from all three cities on the island, plus Island Transit and Island County to put together the management plan.