In spring 2025, contractors began a multi-year project to replace all the decking on the 1.75-mile-long Wilmington Riverwalk as part of the Riverwalk Annual Maintenance Needs contract, approved by Wilmington City Council on January 21, 2025.
Work began at the foot of Nun Street and extended north to just beyond Ann Street. Crews then shifted to the section north of Convention Center Drive, where work paused in June 2025 to accommodate the busy summer season. By that point, roughly 1,000 linear feet of decking had been replaced.
Work resumed in October 2025 along Convention Center Drive, with crews continuing south through early 2026. Once that stretch is complete, contractors will return to the Ann Street area and continue replacing decking northward along the Riverwalk.
Learn more about the Riverwalk
In addition to the ongoing decking replacement, crews began work in spring 2025 to raise the concrete section of the Riverwalk that extends north from the Wilmington Convention Center along the marina. This area has long experienced drainage issues and standing water during rain events.
Initial efforts to lift the structure by injecting grout beneath the concrete proved ineffective. Engineers have since developed an alternative solution that involves installing helical piles to stabilize and elevate the section closest to the Convention Center.
Work on this portion of the Riverwalk is expected to be completed by early 2026.