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A local road construction and maintenance official may soon sink his spade into the politically volatile earth of Southeast Alaska's transportation sector.

Gary Davis, former road service area director for the Kenai Peninsula Borough, will soon take charge as the regional director of the Department of Transportation & Public Facilities in Southeast Alaska.

Roger W. Wetherell, chief communication officer for the DOT, said Davis' 30 years of experience in construction, contracting and public service qualified him to fill the position.

Davis resigned from his position at the borough Oct. 21, effectively leaving the position Nov. 3.

"He has strong leadership qualities that will benefit the several hundred employees he'll have working under him and will bring good qualities and attributes to the communities in Southeast Alaska," Wetherell said.

Davis replaces former director Malcolm Menzies, who recently retired.

His responsibilities entail oversight of a variety of transportation facilities including roads, airports and seaports that connect the often remote and isolated communities with each other and the outside. Additionally he'll manage a $34 million operating budget.

Davis said he's comfortable with the transition.

"It's quite similar to the position I had at the borough, just a lot larger in scale with more money, more employees, bigger projects, a liaison relationship with the Legislature and commissioner," Davis said.

Davis will step into his new position on Jan. 5, at a time when several transportation issues in Southeast have been making headlines.

Included in his purview is the proposed construction of the Lynn Canal Highway, or Juneau Access Road, a road leading north from Juneau, connecting the city with the highways out of Haines or Skagway.

"(The project) is very controversial, not only for the state but for the nation," Wetherell said.

Additionally he would oversee any development in the construction of a bridge connecting Ketchikan with its airport on the adjacent Gravina Island. The project, often referred to as the "Bridge to Nowhere," has made headlines across the state for several years. It became a national issue during the presidential elections.

Davis said he's not intimidated by these politically volatile projects now in front of him.

"I'm going have to do a lot of reviewing and research to get to the specifics on those issues," he said. "There's a detailed process that you need to go through before you can consider funding."

Other big-ticket projects on Davis' plate include the renovation and runway closure at the Petersburg airport and the possibility of acquiring the Prince Rupert Ferry Terminal used by the Alaska Marine Highway System in British Columbia for necessary upgrades.

Davis said he's excited to get to work.

"It's an area I've been involved in just about all my life and getting into administration and management of projects and the political aspects of it is a continuation of my career," he said.

Davis will have to pull up his stakes on the peninsula for the new job. His eight years in the state legislature however, allowed him to become familiar with the Juneau area.

"I know a lot of people there so it won't be a completely new scene," he said.

Dante Petri can be reached at dante.petri@peninsulaclarion.com.