Summary · why it matters
Construction is underway on Delaware's largest-ever maritime infrastructure project, a $669 million container terminal in Edgemoor that officials say will quadruple the state's cargo-handling capacity. The Delaware Container Terminal, built on 137 acres of former DuPont industrial land along the Delaware River, began major construction in 2026 after federal dredging and seawall permits were reissued in April 2026, following a 2024 court ruling that had temporarily revoked them. The terminal is a public-private partnership between the state-owned Diamond State Port Corp. and terminal operator Enstructure, and once complete it will operate with the upgraded Port of Wilmington under a unified Port Delaware brand with a combined annual capacity of up to 1.6 million twenty-foot equivalent units. DCT alone is designed to handle 1.2 million TEUs per year, served by 2,700 feet of quay, seven ship-to-shore gantry cranes, and 26 rubber-tired gantry cranes, with a 45-foot berth depth allowing calls by post-Panamax vessels of up to 16,000 TEUs. A formal groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled by Sept. 14, and the first waterside phase is targeted for completion by the end of 2028, when the terminal is expected to operate at about 40% of its ultimate capacity. The project faces opposition from established New Jersey and Philadelphia port operators, and in July 2026 port companies owned by the Holt family filed a new lawsuit challenging the federal permits.
CSX Corporation
Norfolk Southern Corporation
OK Rusal MKPAO
Dupont De Nemours Inc