Warren Mayor Jim Fouts has asked Gov. Rick Snyder to declare a state of emergency in Michigan's third-largest city because of traffic congestion caused by construction delays on I-696.

Fouts said having more cars traveling on surface streets has resulted in slower response time for emergency vehicles, increased traffic in neighborhoods, a spike in accidents and huge traffic jams.

Fouts' request comes as eastbound I-696 in Macomb County — one of the busiest stretches of highway in Michigan — has been sitting torn up and largely untouched for two weeks amid a labor dispute.

"Clearly, we have a serious public safety problem in Warren due to delays in I-696 construction," Fouts wrote Tuesday in a letter to Snyder. "It is critical to note that, if I-696 construction is delayed by winter, the problems in Warren will be magnified and public safety will be even more endangered."

More:Snyder may intervene in Michigan highway labor dispute=

The $90-million I-696 project is one of several road projects that have been impacted by the dispute that began Sept. 4 between the Michigan Infrastructure & Transportation Association and Operating Engineers Local 324, the union representing operators of cranes and other heavy equipment.

Local and state officials are concerned that the projects won't be finished before frost sets in and new concrete can no longer be poured.

Ari Adler, a spokesman for Snyder, said Tuesday afternoon that the governor's office has not yet reviewed Fouts' request.

He noted that the I-696 project was not scheduled for completion until late November.

"It’s important to note then that the existing closures on I-696 would have been in place right now even if the road building industry was not having this dispute with itself," he said in an email.

Snyder's office has been working to help both sides reach a resolution, Adler said. State officials are also exploring what remedies might be available to them if the dispute isn't resolved soon.

"The state has been talking to both sides in the road-building dispute — the Operating Engineers 324 and MITA — in an attempt to help them build a framework for an agreement that will get everyone back to work," Adler said. "We are pushing hard to have this discussion and an agreement expedited because Gov. Snyder understands motorists’ frustration over these stalled projects."

Fouts told the Free Press if the project remains stalled, "(I-)696 will be an empty cavern, a ghost expressway, through the winter and spring storms, and who knows when it will be resolved. That’s unacceptable."

In his letter to Snyder, Fouts said Police Commissioner Bill Dwyer and Fire Commissioner Skip McAdams are concerned about the freeway closure's impact on public safety.

Dwyer said traffic accidents have spiked, Fouts wrote. He also said police officers responding to scenes have been slowed because of higher traffic volumes.

Dwyer also noted, according to Fouts, that Warren is home to the General Motors Technical Center and TACOM, businesses that each employ thousands of people.

According to the letter, McAdams reported that traffic-clogged streets near areas of road construction "hamper our ability to provide a timely response." The fire department responds to 18,000 emergencies annually.

McAdams also raised concerns about the economic impact that prolonged road construction projects will have on businesses in the city.

Fouts said his outreach to Snyder was an expression of his belief that strong leadership is needed to get the dispute resolved quickly.

"We need some help. Right now, we’ve got a ticking time bomb because in order to complete (I-)696 and Ryan Road" and other road projects in the city, he said, "it must be completed by mid-November. When the frost sets in, you can't do anything."

Also on Freep.com:

Drive these roads for the most beautiful fall colors in Michigan

Dan Gilbert group considers buying 3 magazines

Paranormal group's Eloise tours a hot ticket

Contact Ann Zaniewski: 313-222-6594 or azaniewski@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter: @AnnZaniewski.