Medina is trying to improve congestion by better coordinating traffic lights, but Mayor Dennis Hanwell says a long-term solution might be a new interchange on Interstate 71 south of town.“In Northern Ohio, Medina County is seeing the most growth ... yet the only way to get to the interstate is to come through the [city’s] square, which causes us a great deal of not only truck congestion, but also car congestion,” Hanwell said.The nearest interchange is at state Route 18 and I-71, east of the city. The mayor is suggesting a new interchange south of the square, at state Route 57 and I-71 near Montville Township’s new safety center.“It would be beneficial to the residents of Montville Township,” he said. “It would be better from a public safety standpoint, and it would service the south part of the city without those people having to go through the square.”The public safety aspect is clearest in Montville Township, he said.“Right now, from their safety forces building, they can see an injury accident on the interstate,” Hanwell said. “They have to drive from there either up River Styx [Road], through our square, or however they get there, get on 71 and come back past their station to get to it. That doesn’t make sense to me.”Financial limitations make a quick solution unlikely, the mayor said. And even “if the dollars were available today, I would think it’s probably — on a fast track — a two-year project,” he said.Some speculation is that truckers might be avoiding Ohio Turnpike tolls by taking parallel routes, clogging Medina and other towns. Hanwell could not confirm that theory.“Part of the reason [trucks] are coming through is that we have three state routes (3, 18 and 57) and U.S. 42 that all converge on our square,” he said. “That’s part of it. Whether they are doing it to avoid tolls on the turnpike or just doing it for convenience or doing it to service the cities is unknown.”Hanwell said the city is studying traffic patterns in an eight-block area around the square to improve timing between lights and traffic flow, but said determining why trucks are choosing those routes is difficult.The Ohio Department of Transportation and the Turnpike Commission said they have not studied whether truckers are trying to avoid tolls.Dave Scott can be reached at 330-996-3577 or davescott@thebeaconjournal.com.