Two workers swept the water out of a 6-inch-deep pothole on St. Paul's Shepard Road on Friday, then filled it with asphalt mix and tamped it down to make a smooth surface.
One down. Way too many left to go.
Rapidly melting snow coupled with heavy rains have this spring shaping up to be one of the worst in recent years for potholes. Large ruts are opening so fast that crews are scrambling to keep up.
"Right now it's a bit more like triage," said Chris Anderson, a field supervisor with St. Paul Public Works. "We want to get the ones that can damage cars first. There are some whoppers out there."

Clusters of potholes mar some of the city's most notorious trouble spots, such as Ayd Mill Road, where Pat Walker had the misfortune of hitting a deep depression Monday night. The result? A torn tire and a $200 repair bill.
Drivers have also called the city about crops of potholes on Summit Avenue, Suburban Avenue and Energy Park Drive. On Friday, St. Paul Public Works crew members Bradley Therres and Lance Hamby tackled Shepard Road, dotted with hundreds of cavities between Elway Street and Gannon Road.
"There's no shortage of potholes," Therres said as he shoveled 250-degree asphalt. There were so many, he said he didn't know if the crew would finish the job Friday.
Scores of drivers have also hit trouble in construction zones on Interstates 94 and 35W in downtown Minneapolis.