M23 motorway (Great Britain)
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| Route information | |
| Length: | 15.9 mi (25.6 km) |
| Existed: | 1974 – present |
| History: | Constructed 1974–75 |
| Major junctions | |
| From: | Marling Glen, Surrey |
  J8 → M25 motorway |
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| To: | Crawley, West Sussex |
| Location | |
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Primary destinations: |
Croydon, Reigate, Gatwick  , Crawley
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| Road network | |
The M23 is a motorway in the United Kingdom. The motorway runs from south of Hooley in Surrey, where it splits from the A23, to Pease Pottage, south of Crawley in West Sussex where it rejoins the A23. The northern end of the motorway starts at junction 7 on what is effectively a 2-mile (3.2 km) spur north from junction 7 of the M25 motorway (junction 8 on the M23). From Hooley it runs for 17 miles (27 km) past Redhill, Gatwick Airport and Crawley. A spur runs from junction 9 to Gatwick Airport.
The motorway was constructed between 1972 and 1975, at the same time as the southern section of the M25 from Godstone to Reigate (M25 junctions 6 to 8). The current northern terminus at junction 7 uses the original sliproads to meet the A23 and a flyover above the junction built for the onward northern continuation remains unused.
The cancellation of the unbuilt northern section from the M25 in towards Central London has resulted in the A23 carrying the majority of traffic through South London to the motorway. This is largely a single carriageway route, with many level junctions, traffic lights and awkward interchanges. It travels largely through residential areas and is inadequte for the level of traffic it carries.
A new junction (J10A) was opened in 1997, between J10 and J11, for access to the new Crawley neighbourhood of Maidenbower. It was financed as part of the development of Maidenbower by the construction consortium. It gives only off-access southbound and on-access northbound.
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