Fargo street crews work to fill potholes — though thankfully none are actually this deep

FARGO — Melting snow is an exciting sign of spring, but as it disappears from roads, winter's toll becomes apparent in the form of giant potholes.

Road crews in Fargo are working 12-hour shifts with the goal of filling several dozen potholes every day this week, using a mix of recycled asphalt from past construction projects.

"(It) doesn't really end, and we're working just as hard on the potholes as we are on everything else going on right now," said Fargo Public Works Supervisor Lee Anderson.

Potholes can be frustrating, but some have taken to social media to make light of the situation.

A video showing a Minnesota State University Moorhead basketball player appearing to pencil dive into into a deep pothole spread quickly on local Twitter early this week.

The doctored video makes it appear 6-foot-4 Gavin Baumgartner is completely submerged after jumping into the hole.

"A lot of people think it is real, and I want to say it is. It'll make it funnier," Baumgartner said. "But it's fake. He edited it — my buddy."

Baumgartner's friend Isaac Riihiluoma, known for his skill with Adobe After Effects, said they filmed Baumgartner jumping into the puddle with his cellphone. He whipped up the video using just that footage, his editing skills and about 30 minutes of spare time.

"I had to cut him out, erase him from the background and move him down into the puddle," Riihiluoma said, describing the process. "Basically it's just a bunch of different layers on top of each other."

Anderson laughed when shown the video.

"Yeah, that's probably one we should address," he said.

A 6-foot-deep pothole hasn't been identified in Fargo or Moorhead, but it doesn't take one even a fraction of that size to severely damage a car.

Potholes in Fargo can be reported through the FargoOne website, which features a map with reports of various issues across the city.

Potholes can be reported to Moorhead Public Works at 218-299-5422 or through this email portal .