President-elect Trump’s plan to invest about $550 billion in new infrastructure projects across the country was a central theme in his campaign. No doubt, small businesses will play an important role in such a massive program if Congress approves Trump’s plans. The maps below show how far-flung the infrastructure needs of the U.S. are and how much opportunity there is for small businesses in trades related to construction, engineering, finance and more — and the vast network of businesses that will be needed to supply and serve them.

The maps were created by the Washington Post’s Graphics Reporter Tim Meko and display the massive scope of America’s infrastructure. More details and insightful annotations for each map can be found on the Washington Post website feature, “Six maps that show the anatomy of America’s vast infrastructure“

The Electric Grid

There are more than 3,300 power utilities and about 7,700 power plants that produce and distribute electricity to homes, businesses and other consumers.

Ports and Inland Waterways

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimates that more than 95 percent of overseas trade produced or consumed by the United States moves through our ports.

Bridges

A 2016 study by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association found that nearly 10 percent of the 600,000 bridges in the United States are structurally deficient.

Pipelines

There are about 150,000 miles of oil pipelines and more than 1.5 million miles of natural gas pipelines in the United States.

Railroads

More than 160,000 miles of track, 76,000 rail bridges, and 800 tunnels across the nation are shared by hundreds of operators moving freight and passengers.

Airports

Our airways are the busiest in the world. In a three-day span in early November, Flightradar24, which tracks live air traffic, showed more than 160,000 flights arriving or departing U.S. airports.

VIA | WashingtonPost.com

Photo: Howard Mattinson via Flikr