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Factfile - Images - Timeline - Exit List
The M23 is only a part of what it was meant to be - evidenced by its first junction being number 7. The plan would have taken it north to hit the proposed motorway replacing the South Circular, Ringway 2. The horrific line it would have taken - ploughing through many south London suburbs - made sure the plan was well and truly buried. Unfortunately this means all its traffic into London has to be carried by the A23, a single-carriageway excuse crawling through Croydon, Streatham and Brixton.
Since there's no chance whatsoever of completing the road, the Highways Agency now want to improve its shambolic northern terminus (incomplete but free-flowing, at least) by plonking a cheap and cheerful roundabout about half a mile north of it. Another roundabout would be a hold-up on any other London radial, but the A23 hit rock bottom some time ago, and this won't really make much difference either way. What it will do is allow traffic from the south to get to the M23 more safely, as for many this is the nearest access to the M25. The never-used flyovers and roadway will thankfully be left in place, as a warning to planners about the follies of proposing such things in the future.
Factfile
| Start | Hooley (A23) |
| Finish | Crawley (A23) |
| Passes | Reigate, Gatwick  |
| Length | 17 miles |
| Terminates | None |
| Spurs | None |
| Meets | M25 |
Images
Views of the M23 from on and off the road. If you have a photo to contribute, contact me.
The point where the northbound M23 hits the M25 - clearly there were meant to be three lanes going straight through, which have been painted down to two.
Photo by Dave Ryan
After the M25, there's three lanes northbound, with a suspicious gap wide enough for another lane next to the central reservation. But here, a kicker arrow appears in lane 3.
Photo by Dave Ryan
Looking north from the same bridge, here's the reason for that arrow: lane 3 ends now. A four-lane carriageway is now fifty per cent paint. The road ahead is overgrown and the entire M23 is diverted down an exit slip.
Photo by Dave Ryan
Southbound on the A23, this sign represents the beginning of a motorway that was going to be so important that ministers toyed with calling it the M2 for a while.
Photo by Dave Ryan
Some of the unused carriageway on top of junction 7 is now a maintenance compound, but other areas simply lie unused. This is part of it - a basic surface, now overgrown, that has been waiting for its wearing course of tarmac for thirty years.
Photo by Dave Ryan
Construction Timeline
When the various parts of the M23 were built, listed in chronological order.
| Open | Jct | Section |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | J7-8 | Hooley - Merstham |
| 1975 | J8-11 | Merstham - Pease Pottage |
| 1975 | J9-9a | Gatwick Spur |
Exit List
All the junctions and destinations along the route.
NB: Junctions 1-6 were never built.
| Junction | Northbound | Southbound | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Croydon London A23       |
A23 |
NORTH |
A23 |
N/A    |
|||||
2 miles, 4 lanes  |
 2 miles, 4 lanes |
|||||||||
| 8 | Heathrow (M4  )Sutton (A217) Watford (M1 )Dartford (M11 )Maidstone (M20 )Westerham (A25) M25  |
M25 |  |
M25 | Dartford (M11 ) Maidstone (M20 )Westerham (A25) Heathrow (M4 )Watford (M1 )Reigate (A217) M25    |
|||||
| 8 miles, 3 lanes |
8 miles, 3 lanes |
|||||||||
| 9 | Gatwick (A23)  |
(A23) |   |
Gatwick Redhill (A23)  |
||||||
| 2 miles, 3 lanes |
2 miles, 3 lanes |
|||||||||
| 10 | Crawley East Grinstead A264 |
A2011 |   |
A264 | Crawley East Grinstead A264 |
|||||
| 5 miles, 3 lanes |
2 miles, 3 lanes |
|||||||||
| 10A | B2036 |  |
B2036 | B2036 |
||||||
| 3 miles, 3 lanes |
||||||||||
| 11 | N/A |
A23 A264 |
 A23 SOUTH |
Brighton A23 |
||||||
| Horsham A264  Pease Pottage |
