Guidelines for Tours

Georgia Department of Transportation
Office of Materials and Research
15 Kennedy Drive
Forest Park, Georgia 30297-2599

• Location: From I-75, take Exit 237 (Forest Parkway/State Farmer's Market) and proceed east. Turn right at first light (Frontage Road). Proceed 0.6 mile to Kennedy Drive and turn left. The Office of Materials and Research is the last building on the left.

• Fee: All tours are provided free of charge.

• General age requirement: 10 years old and up.

• Group size: 10-50; groups larger than 20 will be divided into two groups.

• Tour duration: 2 hours, including 30-minute orientation.

• Reservations: Tour should be scheduled at least two weeks in advance. Confirmation of the tour date and time should be made with the tour coordinator the day before the tour. Punctual arrival is requested.

• Special services: Handicap access is provided at the east entrance to the building, inside the security fence. Also, a snack bar is available at the close of the tour.

The Office of Materials and Research (OMR) is the materials testing and transportation research arm of the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT). Materials used in the construction and maintenance of roads and bridges on the Georgia highway system are tested by OMR personnel in the Central Laboratory in Forest Park and in six satellite laboratories around the state. Testing is conducted both in-house and in the field. OMR personnel also conduct broad-based research aimed at applying new technology to the full range of GDOT operations.

Tours of OMR consist of a brief orientation to GDOT and OMR, followed by visits to several testing units within OMR. Visitors are asked to remain together at all times. Also, it is requested that quiet be maintained throughout the course of the tour. Questions are welcomed in each of the units visited during the tour.

Tour Coordinator: Pam King; phone: (404) 362-6559.