Linden-Soesdyke Highway transforming into billion-dollar investment hub – President Ali

…as Colombian asphalt plant commissioned along corridor

President Dr Irfaan Ali has stated that the Linden-Soesdyke Highway is fast transforming into a billion-dollar investment corridor, with massive industrial projects being undertaken there and plans for more in the future.
He made these remarks on Wednesday afternoon at the commissioning of the Drominc Asphalt Plant on the highway – a facility set up by a major Colombian company.

According to the Head of State, just about four years ago the Linden-Soesdyke Highway was just a transportation link into the hinterland regions. Today, he added, it is a corridor buzzing with industrial activities, where a mined-out sandpit was converted into an asphalt facility.
“Today, on this Linden-Soesdyke Highway, tens of millions of US (United States) dollars – tens of billions of Guyanese dollars, are being invested here on this new corridor of development,” President Ali posited.
He noted that this “new corridor of development” is not only seeing hard core industrial investments but a mix that tells the story of the diversity of the Guyanese economy. For instance, he outlined that tens of millions of US dollars are being invested in sustainable and resilient agriculture along the highway including a new diary plant, pegged at over US$25 million, that is coming onstream soon as well as hydroponic and nursery facilities.
In addition, investments in tourism, lake front communities, a new city – new areas of urbanization, manufacturing and value-added creation all forms part of this massive transformation that is taking place along this corridor with more to come, according to the Head of State.
“In the coming five years, the transformation that is taking place along this corridor is going to be so immense that the value-creation is going to be unbelievable in terms of jobs, in terms of asset value, in terms of infrastructure expansion, in terms of productivity – all of that,” the Guyanese leader noted.
Apart from industrialisation, the Linden-Soesdyke corridor will also be an important transportation and service hub between Guyana and Brazil. Key to this development is the various waterfront developments taking place along the Demerara River from Georgetown to Timehri.
These will be further bolstered by a number of new quarries that are set to come into operation soon, coupled with a modern cement manufacturing plant already underway along the Highway.
With these, however, President Ali pointed out that there needs to be value-creation to support these developments.
“Where we’re not only building infrastructure but we’re building infrastructure where almost all of the input come from right here in Guyana. All of these adds to the value-ecosystem that will and must support the economic transformation.”
“We are in first phase of this transformation that will take place in our country, where the first phase is the infrastructure build out. The current infrastructure build out is only to handle the immediate needs. The economy in this country will be built out in such massive scale that infrastructure connectivity to markets and people will be beyond anything you can imagine,” the Head of State declared.
Among the key infrastructure developments are the Lethem to Linden Road Expansion Project and the new Corentyne River Bridge connecting Guyana, Brazil and Suriname to facilitate cross-border trade.

Capitalise on capacity being built
Meanwhile, President Ali also encouraged investors to capitalise on the capacity being built out here in Guyana, such as trucking services.

“So, there are a lot of services that you’ll be able to out-source, reducing your capital and operational costs and at the same time, supporting the trucking, logistics and transport industry that is being created locally. So, more and more, we want the Guyana Office for Investment to not only be a facilitator for investment but a constructive partner in investment, directing [investors] to local partners that bring synergy to their businesses,” the Guyanese leader noted.
With Guyana is already receiving interests from potential Colombian investors in the areas of agriculture and tourism, President Ali encouraged more businesses from the South American nation to explore opportunities here such as healthcare services that would be needed for the highly anticipated Silica City project – Guyana’s first smart urban centre also located along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway.
After being invited by its local partner, Macorp, back in 2023 to explore opportunities here, the Colombian-based Dromos Mining and Construction (DROMINC) Inc. started operating in Guyana in 2024, supplying asphalt mix and stone aggregates, including mix extension and compaction service.
With over 40 years of experience in Colombia supplying industrial aggregates, asphalt mixture and infrastructure development, the company is committed to engineering excellence in Guyana.
”Our aim is for this facility [in Guyana] to play a key role in the country’s infrastructure development; building roads, connecting communities, creating jobs and supporting local businesses. We aim to bring technology and innovation [here],” a Drominc executive stated at Wednesday’s commissioning.
A key player in the establishment of Drominc Asphalt Plant in Guyana was former Colombian President, Iván Duque, who lauded Guyana for being open to foreign investment as part of its unprecedent economic transformation.
He noted that Drominc is the first Colombian industrial investment in Guyana, bringing transnational investment and job creation while also meeting the demands of the local economy. Duque added that there will be massive investments from the Colombian company over the next four years here including more asphalt plants.