eli5 why are manhole covers in the middle of the road and not on the sidewalk?

Question

eli5 why are manhole covers in the middle of the road and not on the sidewalk?

In: 622

Answer 1

At some point that was the sidewalk. Like back when the city was getting the sewer, water, electricity…

Then, decades passed, people multiplied, bought more cars, and roads needed to be widened.