Dic: way as meaning a distance or a length of time, especially a long one

■ some way, quite a way : quite a long distance

• She had to park some way from the restaurant 

■ a long way off, a long way away, a long way ahead etc :  far away in distance or in time

• A peace settlement now seems a long way off. 
• I don't want to go all that way and not see him.

.... LDOCE

cf.

• Britain retains an aristocratic structure ... if not to a complete meritocracy, at least some way in that direction. (Milton Friedman, 1997)