The Placer County Transportation Planning Agency (PCTPA) and the City of Colfax will host a ribbon cutting ceremony to recognize the completion of the I-80 Canyon Way Interchange Improvements Project on Wednesday, December 9th at 2pm at Crispin Cider, 986 S Canyon Way in Colfax.
The I-80 Canyon Way interchange now meets federal and state operating standards for large freight trucks. This upgrade was critical for businesses along Canyon Way, particularly Crispin Cider, the City of Colfax’s largest employer. Crispin Cider delivery trucks travel the I-80 Canyon Way interchange, which is about a mile away from the brewery. Before these upgrades were made, the trucks were being cited by the CHP for being too large for the interchange to handle.
“The project reconfigured the entrances and exits to the Canyon Way overpass, which now allows freight trucks to legally negotiate the turns,” said City of Colfax Mayor Kim Douglass. “Before this improvement Crispin trucks were being cited for using the interchange, that’s a big problem for a growing business.”
Crispin Cider, founded as Fox Barrel Cider in 2004 by two Colfax natives, provides 44 jobs at its brewery in the heart of Colfax. Since 2012, it has been owned by Chicago-based MillerCoors and continues to brew and bottle 4,247,000 gallons of cider in Colfax every year.
“Timely delivery is paramount for us to assure that we continue to provide quality cider from 100% pressed apple juice, and quality is always our top priority,” said Crispin Cider Production Services Manager Patricia Cummings. “We are grateful for the quick response and support from local and state officials in helping us address this problem as it will allow us to continue to operate in the Placer region, where Crispin has enjoyed an extensive history.”
Preconstruction work for the project was funded by PCTPA in partnership with Caltrans. Working with the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), PCTPA worked to secure approximately $1 million of construction funding from the California Transportation Commission’s State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).
“The usual sources of funds for projects such as this are over-programmed with more projects than there is money. PCTPA worked with GO-Biz to develop a creative approach in order to expedite construction,” said PCTPA Executive Director Celia McAdam. “This project is another example of how transportation infrastructure and economic development are inextricably linked. PCTPA is currently working to develop a dedicated local transportation funding source that would give us the tools to keep our economy growing.”