Tom O’Dell Smith offers updates on several major projects; 86th District Rep says permanent fix is coming to Master Street in Corbin

Just weeks away from the start of the 2026 legislative session, 86th District Representative Tom O’Dell Smith was invited to speak at the latest meeting of the Corbin Rotary Club. During his presentation, Smith touched on a variety of topics including the importance of educational opportunities in the district, updates on road improvement projects, and plans for a new industrial park in western Knox County.
Smith continues to serve on several committees in the Kentucky House of Representatives. In addition to being vice chair of the Licensing, Occupations and Administrative Regulations Committee, he is also a member of the Natural Resources and Energy Committee, the Transportation Committee and the Banking and Insurance Committee. He told Rotary Club members in attendance last Thursday afternoon that he is proud to continue representing his constituents in Frankfort.
“The office does not belong to me, it belongs to you,” Smith said. “The title of representative is exactly what it says – I represent you. When I press that button and cast my vote, I think about you.”
Smith said that his district is obviously much different than larger metropolitan areas, like Lexington or Louisville. He said it is important to keep that in mind when considering what is going to work best for the people who live and work here in the tri-counties. Specifically, he pointed to educational opportunities as one of the most important concerns moving ahead into the future.
“We don’t have school choice in my district,” Smith said. “Do you know why? It’s because a child can’t come from the head of Stinking Creek to Corbin to go to school. They have no way of getting there, so it’s really not a school choice area.”
“I’m a public school supporter,” Smith continued. “My wife was a public school teacher. The reason that I support it is because our Constitution says that we shall supply education to every child in the Commonwealth. That means it is our responsibility as a government to educate kids.”
Smith said he puts a high priority on educational opportunities, saying he is big supporter of vocational schools in particular. He pointed to the Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College campus in Barbourville as an example of how significant investments are being made to train students in lucrative vocations such as welding, electrical, plumbing and commercial driving, among others.
“You don’t have to go into 4-5 more years of school to have a good career,” Smith said. “That is what I want our kids to have – opportunity.”
Recent successes and future projects
Smith shared with Rotary Club members what he feels are some of the biggest successes in recent years. He mentioned the improvements to US 25E off of I-75 Exit 29, and he also said that permanent repairs to Master Street in Corbin are on the agenda.
“We have Master Street in to be fixed once and for all,” Smith informed. “It will not be flooded once we get it done. The funds have been appropriated, and Master Street is getting done.”
Smith approximated the amount of funds appropriated for the improvement project to be about $7.5 million. He did not indicate when permanent repair work might begin.
Smith then offered several updates on major projects in the Barbourville area, including a pair of new road installations that should increase driver and pedestrian safety, and he said that $53 million has been secured to fund the construction of a new judicial center in downtown.
Smith said that county courthouse offices will be re-located to the remodeled former Union National Bank building, and that plans are being made to demolish the current courthouse, which was constructed in the mid-1960s. The new judicial center will be erected in its place. He did not offer a timeline for completion of the project, but earlier reporting indicates it could be a 2-3 year process.
Smith expressed great excitement over a new public library that is being built in Barbourville, saying it will provide a “first class opportunity” for all members of the community to utilize the facility as a technology center and as a place where various events can be held.
Smith thanked Judge Executive Mike Mitchell and the Knox County Fiscal Court for their help in securing property in the Gillam Hill area of western Knox County that will be used to construct a new industrial park. The property is approximately 1,500 acres, and while it will likely require at least some mountaintop removal in order to maximize the land’s full potential for building, Smith said that funds will be made available in the state budget that will allow for getting the development project underway in the relatively near future.
Smith and his fellow legislators in the Kentucky General Assembly will be tasked with approving and passing a new state budget in the upcoming 2026 legislative session.
Finally, Smith was pleased to announce that, after working with Judge Executive Mitchell and U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers to secure both federal and state funding in the amount of approximately $8 million, a water project will soon bring relief to the Flatlick, Artemus and Stinking Creek areas of Knox County.
Smith said that, after many years of poor water service in these particular areas, special funding has allowed for the installation of a new service line that will connect to the city’s water service. He explained that the connector has already been installed, and that work is now underway to run the new lines.
“We are getting things done,” Smith said in sum. “I want you to know that I am working on your behalf. I like to see us get our share, and to see our kids get opportunities.”
In a brief follow-up following his presentation, Smith said that he is also working with Congressman Rogers and other state legislators on a plan to expand US 25 to four lanes from “malfunction junction” in north Corbin all the way to London. He said this project would have one of the biggest impacts possible for the area when it comes to road improvements, also commenting that the current elected leadership continues to collectively look for any opportunities to improve road conditions in the tri-counties. In support of this, he said that the last state budget included over $200 million for transportation-related projects.