A new water way to cost K87.1 billion (US$260m) from Indian Ocean through Zambezi and the Shire Rivers into the ports of Lake Malawi is on the card.

An American Engineer Aubrey Briggs has designed the transport network called 'travel¬ling lock' which will involve transporting river barges by rail to Indian Ocean.

Briggs, who is 92 years old and boasts 29 engineering patents, says the patent for the travelling lock will be donated to Malawi.

His son, Leonard, who was in the country to meet government officials including President Joyce Banda said they are going to help the country to get financial assistance from the US government.

The son said it would allow landlocked countries like Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi access to the Indian Ocean, thus transforming the economy in Southern Africa.

"One other good thing is that my father is willing to donate the patent to the government and if any country, firm or organisation will be interested in the patent, they will be paying royalties for it, to the Malawi government," explained Briggs.

Once the construction of the travelling lock, which is the first of its kind world over, is concluded ships carrying barge from the Indian Ocean will be mechanically placing barges with cargo unto a railway system from Chiromo in Nsanje before mechanically transferred back into the water system at Liwonde into Lake Malawi.

"The system has been made in such a way that it will bypass gorges, falls and bridges along the Shire River and create smooth move¬ment of cargo from the Indian Ocean," said Briggs.

He said Malawi would have unprecedented wealth almost immediately.

Briggs senior is not a stranger as he also helped in construction of a dam in Domasi where he supervised installation of four miles of pipe that is feeding the whole area. He put $300,000 of his own money into this project called "Living Waters Project."

Briggs came to Malawi through a 21-year-old partnership between Pittsburgh Presbytery and the Synod of Blantyre.