Delaware breaks ground on $669 million container terminal at Edgemoor

The Delaware River is poised to become a larger gateway for global commerce as state and maritime industry leaders celebrate construction on a $669 million container terminal expected to nearly double the region’s cargo-handling capacity and create thousands of jobs.

At a ceremonial groundbreaking Sept. 14, 2026, Delaware Secretary of State Charuni Patibanda-Sanchez welcomed representatives from Enstructure, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Diamond State Port Corporation, organized labor, Delaware’s congressional delegation and former and current elected state officials.

The Delaware Container Terminal, a public-private partnership between the state and Enstructure, will be built on the former Edgemoor industrial site along the Delaware River. The facility is scheduled to open in early 2029, following years of planning and collaboration among state officials, port operators, labor representatives and community stakeholders.

The project represents one of the largest infrastructure investments in Delaware history and a significant expansion of the state’s role in the regional and international shipping industry.

For Ronald “Kimoko” Harris, a Diamond State Port Corporation board member, the groundbreaking represents the culmination of an effort that began nearly two decades ago.

Harris said he first advocated for expanding Delaware’s port operations in 2008, when he began discussing the concept with longshore workers, shipping industry representatives and elected officials. He credited former New Castle County Executive Tom Gordon with helping advance the idea.

“I started this in 2008, when I first introduced this concept of government port in Edgemoor to the longshoreman and the shipping community in Delaware,” Harris said.

The project gained momentum with the deepening of the Delaware River navigation channel to 45 feet, creating an opportunity for Delaware to attract more container cargo carried by larger vessels, Harris said.

The existing Port of Wilmington, along the Christina River, has a channel depth of about 37 feet. The new terminal's location on the Delaware River will allow it to accommodate much larger container ships.

Project leaders say the terminal will dramatically increase Delaware's capacity to move containerized cargo, positioning the state to capture a larger share of East Coast trade.

Plans call for a deepwater marine terminal with a 2,700-foot quay capable of handling ships carrying up to 16,000 twenty-foot equivalent units, or TEUs, the standard measure of container capacity. The facility is expected to process about 1.2 million TEUs annually.

The State of Delaware and Enstructure are developing the terminal through a public-private partnership. Under the agreement, the Diamond State Port Corporation will retain ownership of the Edgemoor site, while Enstructure will develop and operate the facility under a long-term concession agreement.

The project carries an estimated price tag of $669 million, including:

The project's development has included extensive outreach to residents and organizations near the former industrial site, though legal challenges remain pending.

Asked what it means for construction to begin before those complaints are resolved, Patibanda-Sanchez said the state remains confident in its position.

“I think what it means is that this project is going to happen. We have a very strong legal strategy, and this work has to get done. So, we are starting,” she said.

According to project leaders, Enstructure and the Diamond State Port Corporation have participated in more than 30 community meetings and site tours involving more than 20 local organizations.

Those discussions have focused on construction schedules, traffic impacts, environmental remediation and employment opportunities, among other issues.

Patibanda-Sanchez, who also chairs the Diamond State Port Corporation, said residents have voiced concerns about truck traffic, particularly potential impacts on neighborhood roads and access to I-95. Concerns have also been raised about truck use on Foulk Road and Marsh Road, as well as construction-related noise and lighting.

“We hear that loud and clear,” she said, adding that officials have worked to be transparent about efforts to mitigate those impacts.

Patibanda-Sanchez said community engagement will continue throughout construction and once the terminal becomes operational.

“We have monthly board meetings where everyone is welcome to give public comment and to voice their concerns,” she said. “There is really an open dialogue with the community that has existed really since I became chair, and it will continue through the construction and the operation of this project.”