LTADD Engineering supports LaRue County’s innovative infrastructure project
Right along I-65 is a small, easy-to-miss strip of LaRue County. Yet, the LaRue County Judge/Executive and local magistrates view that stretch as a critical opportunity worthy of investment.
Weldon Loop Road is located in the Upton community and is a 2.89 mile stretch of roadway. Weldon Loop Road is heavily used by large-scale industrial and farm vehicles.
“As this area of the county continues to grow with new industry, it became more apparent that we have to address the deteriorating state of Weldon Loop Road for residents and potential industry alike,” said LaRue County Judge/Executive Blake Durrett.
Judge Durrett had previously negotiated with SRM Materials, a new quarry on Watkins Alvey Road, to upgrade Watkins Alvey Road to a 22-foot paved surface to support their industrial transportation. However, Weldon Loop Road continued to deteriorate under the increased heavy loads.
“We know that the increased tax roll, the new jobs, and the new domestic product associated with growing industry was important to LaRue County,” Durrett said. “But we also recognized that we must invest in our infrastructure to support this growth and the residents in the area.”
Judge Durrett turned to Lincoln Trail Area Development District (LTADD) Engineering with an innovative approach for the necessary maintenance and the best course of action for the Weldon Loop Road upgrades.
Finding an Innovative Solution
Engineering Director Charlie Allen met with LaRue County representatives to better understand the project goals and unique restrictions.
“Judge Durrett outlined the needs for the project and clearly stated his expectations: to widen the road to 22 feet to accommodate heavy loads, keep the road in service during construction, and not change the road’s elevation to avoid added costs,” said Allen. “From there, we began preliminary planning and exploration to ensure the project would be shovel-ready when funding was made available.”
Allen created alignment and plan sheets for the project to widen the lanes to 11-feet and add two feet of rock shoulder to each side of the road. Allen incorporated Judge Durrett’s recommendation to use cement stabilization for full-depth reclamation (FDR). This is a cost-effective process regularly used by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for federal and state highways, but it is relatively new for county roads.
What is Cement Stabilization for FDR?
This process uses the existing asphalt and underlying base material, mixed with cement and water, to create a new base layer with strong structural integrity. It eliminates the high costs associated with hauling in new rock, pulverizing the existing pavement and subgrade in place. The material is then compacted and prepped for a new surface layer like asphalt.
LTADD Engineering also created computer-aided design (CAD) detailing the project. “Our goal was to be project-ready when funding was available,” Allen said.
Project Allocation and Completion
Judge Durrett worked to secure funding sources for the project. Senator Jimmy Higdon (District 14) included a line item for the project in the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s bi-annual plan in 2024. However, the funding was not officially allocated until the road completely deteriorated.
The construction began in October 2025 and was completed in November 2025. The 0.94 miles mile section from near Upton Talley Road to the Watkins Alvey Road intersection was the first county road in Kentucky where Scotty’s Contracting and Stone implemented the cement stabilization for full-depth reclamation (FDR) process.
Seeing the value of this infrastructure investment, Judge Durrett worked with SRM Materials to donate the rock for the asphalt, concrete intersection, and rock shoulders, showcasing the opportunity for public-private partnerships.
“LTADD Engineering was an outstanding resource for this innovative project,” Judge Durrett said. “Their professionalism, responsiveness, and their commitment to helping us be as cost-effective as possible was critical to the success of this project. They also helped us keep the road in service the whole time.”
The new road significantly improves the connection of LaRue County’s local businesses and residents to the industrial opportunities across the entire region.
