Downtown Tampa's Water Street project is taking its next step. 

The project's major traffic shift happened overnight Saturday into Sunday, and will meet drivers head-on that use southern downtown Tampa roads Monday morning.

The move is part of the phased roadway realignment project, which is creating the building blocks for the massive Water Street Tampa redevelopment. 

East Brorein Street between Channelside Drive and South Nebraska Avenue was permanently shutdown over the weekend to make room for a new branch of Brorein one-block west near the Amalie Arena.

Channelside Drive, normally a one-way eastbound road, has been converted to a two-way road between Old Water Street and Nebraska to make way for the new E. Brorein Street branch. 

Two westbound lanes and two eastbound lanes on Channelside Drive between S Meridian Avenue and Old Water Street will shift south and remain open to motorists in both directions. 

The changes will have an impact on rush hour downtown traffic as well as events in and around Amalie Arena - particularly now during the Tampa Bay Lightning's Stanley Cup run. 

The Water Street Tampa redevelopment is being conducted by Strategic Property Partners, a joint venture between Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik and Cascade Investment, a firm owned by Microsoft founder Bill Gates. 

Construction crews broke ground last week on the new JW Marriott, a 26-story hotel that will be across the street from the Tampa Waterside Marriott and adjacent to Amalie Arena. 

The 50-acre project also will include the renovation of the Tampa Waterside Marriott, a University of South Florida downtown Tampa medical school and residential, retail and commercial space.  

The first phase of road construction is set for completion in September, however the full project will be ongoing in the Channelside Area for the next 5-8 years.