PROVO — When Jon Huntsman Jr. approached Gary Herbert last April about being his running mate for the state's highest office, the longtime Utah County commissioner told him flat out he had no interest in being a second-in-command assigned only to ribbon-cuttings.

"When we talked, we discussed the possibilities for about three and a half hours, and I told him, 'My answer depends on what you expect,' " he said. "He said he wanted someone who is capable of being governor, someone who complements the governor's office."

Now, after winning the November election, the GOP's Huntsman is doling out tasks to his top advisers — and Herbert has been given some heavy-duty assignments.

Herbert says he is starting to feel the weight of responsibility.

And truth be told, he's not sleeping as well at night.

"Specifically (Huntsman) is going to task me with transportation. Transportation is a significant mountain to climb. It's going to cost more than $20 million to fix. We need a short-, middle- and long-term plan, one we do not deviate from, one that's nonpolitical with autonomy left to local government."

Then there's the challenge of finding a way to pay for it all.

At the same time, Herbert — who for years has lobbied lawmakers for tax money for road improvements in Utah County — knows he can't stump only for his home territory.

"It can't be parochial. That being said, we've heightened the awareness. I-15 in Utah County is now being recognized as a state problem," he said. "For us, it's a local road, but it is also the conduit from one end of the state to the other."

Huntsman also is asking Herbert to act as the liaison to the rural areas to discuss access to public lands, energy policies involving state trust lands and wilderness protection. He'll be dealing with water issues, too.

"The assignments involve issues that are significant, real and tough," he said. "It does seem a little bit overwhelming. The only thing that gives me peace is that Utah is blessed with good, decent people who are well-educated and a lot more sophisticated than some might think. Even with significant mountains to climb, we've got good people to climb with."

He's already expected to attend out-of-state conferences and nearly daily meetings in Salt Lake City related to his new job while he's still functioning as a county commissioner, a post he's held for 14 years.

He wants to hold up his end as a county commissioner but is expected to get recommendations and programs ready for Huntsman's review before the swearing-in this January.

That translates into a lot of 14-hour days and time on the road.