manhole

thumb|Postmaster-General's Department|PMG manholes in a city street, [[Perth, Western Australia]] thumb|Sanitary manhole|Manhole being used to access sewer thumb|Installation of a fiber-optic manhole in Brooklyn, New York thumb|An uncovered manhole in Beirut, Lebanon A manhole (utility hole, maintenance hole, or sewer hole) is an opening to a confined space such as a shaft, utility vault, or large vessel. Manholes, typically protected by a manhole cover, are often used as an access point for an underground public utility, allowing inspection, maintenance, and system upgrades. The majority of underground services have manholes, including water, sewers, telephone, electricity, storm drains, district heating, and gas.

Manholes are generally found in urban areas, in streets and occasionally under sidewalks. In rural and undeveloped areas, services such as telephone and electricity are usually carried on utility poles or even pylons rather than underground.