BIW plans May 11 meeting on Washington Street parking project, traffic impacts

Bath Iron Works is moving a 940-space parking garage and expanded lots closer to the center of Bath’s traffic debate, and residents are pressing for clearer answers on how the project will affect Weeks Street, Fisher Court and Transporter Road.

The shipyard said it will hold a public meeting May 11 at the Maine Maritime Museum to discuss Washington Street corridor work, including the garage timeline, road changes and pedestrian-safety upgrades. BIW says the project is part of a broader effort to ease chronic parking shortages that contribute to employee turnover and hiring problems, while reducing pressure on nearby neighborhoods.

Under the proposed plan, the new garage would rise on the current main parking lot at the north end of the shipyard. BIW says the structure would have four levels above grade and two below grade, with completion targeted for 2028. The shipyard also plans expanded surface parking in two places, across from the north end of the yard and at the south end, adding about 854 spaces and paving former dirt lots.

Those changes matter far beyond the fence line. BIW employs 6,800 people, with more than 3,500 working in the Bath shipyard main yard on first shift, so even modest shifts in parking patterns can spill onto city streets at the start and end of the workday. Residents who have already spoken at public sessions have warned that the project could worsen backups in the South End and speed up cut-through driving on streets such as Weeks Street.

Bath city officials have already taken one step to clear the way. On March 4, 2026, the City Council unanimously approved discontinuing a section of Fisher Court and selling part of it to BIW for $15,500 so the company can build an expanded lot it says will serve as overflow parking while the garage is under construction.

The parking project is also tied to BIW’s wider workforce strategy. The company and Greater Portland Transit District expanded the BREEZ commuter bus between Portland and Bath on July 7, 2025, with a $4 one-way fare and discounts for frequent riders, veterans, seniors and riders with disabilities. BIW says the bus is meant to cut traffic and parking demand near the shipyard. The company is also planning 84 apartments at 150 Congress Avenue, expected in mid-2027, and has expanded childcare capacity for employees’ families.

For Bath and nearby Brunswick, the stakes are local and immediate. BIW says it is Bath’s largest employer and one of the top three employers in Brunswick, making the Washington Street corridor one of the most closely watched pieces of infrastructure in Sagadahoc County as construction plans advance.