M23 motorway

The M23 is a motorway in southern England. It runs for 17 miles from Hooley in Surrey to Pease Pottage in West Sussex. The road links the A23, which connects London to Brighton, at both ends. It passes through gaps in the North Downs and Greensand Ridge, mainly wooded hill ranges. The motorway serves Gatwick Airport and the towns of Crawley, Horsham and East Grinstead. Three junctions near Crawley are spaced widely apart. The motorway was built between 1972 and 1975 alongside part of the M25. Its planned northern extension into London was cancelled in the 1970s and 1980s. A stack interchange at the M25 junction shows the importance once placed on the route. A new junction opened in 1997 to serve the Crawley neighbourhood of Maidenbower. The motorway was upgraded to a smart motorway between 2018 and 2020 to improve journeys to Gatwick Airport. The M23 is the only motorway in Sussex. It carries traffic from South London to Brighton when the A23 becomes a single carriageway. The rivalry between Brighton & Hove Albion and Crystal Palace football clubs is nicknamed the M23 Derby. The motorway runs through mainly wooded countryside with occasional urban areas. Drivers see Gatwick Airport to the west and the North Downs to the east.