13,000 Manholes Without Covers In San Jose Alone

Besides having to dodge potholes, drivers have to also be wary of missing manholes covers.

In San José alone it is estimated that 13.000 manholes are completely open, without a cover, assumed stolen by thieves who trade the metal for cash.

Municipalities say they are continually replacing manhole covers, but cannot keep up with the pace of thefts and curb the problem.

The municipalidad de San José says it spends on average ¢35 million colones a year to replace manhole covers. Marco Solórzano, head of the Alcantarillado Pluvial de San José, however, says there are no exact figures on how many covers are replaced a year.

http://www.insidecostarica.com/dailynews/2010/september/02/costarica10090203.htm

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