A utility worker discovered a decomposed corpse inside a manhole near Columbus Circle early Tuesday, police said.

The grisly find at West 58th Street and 8th Avenue was made around 3:20 a.m., cops said. The unidentified man appeared to have been there for “some time,” authorities said.

“The smell was just unbelievable. Doing that kind of job you’d expect to find some strange things in manholes or in sewers — but this is a first. I was shocked,” said a worker who was on the scene but preferred to remain anonymous.

EMS responded and pronounced the man dead on scene. Authorities said he was possibly homeless.

It wasn’t immediately clear how the person ended up in the manhole.

The body was removed just after 8 a.m.

The city medical examiner’s office will determine the cause of death.