Handcross Junction

The Handcross junction on the A23 has been subjected to difficult planning due to the terrain, vegetation, protected areas, other routes and the village its on. For these reasons it has seen many changes in the past 80 years. The junction does entry and exits on both carriageways, however the off-slip for southbound is only available at a separate junction 2.5KM north of the main junction.

Junction Layout

(1937) Prior dual carriageway creation through the village

pre 2010s two lanes

after 2010s works, three lanes

History

Pre 1930

The A23 runs as a S2 through Handcross High Street. The High Street has a difficult task as being the end of three other routes; A279 (West), B2110 (North East) and the B2114 (South East).

1930s

To the north at Pease Pottage the road has been dualed and just to the south of Handcross the road has also been dualed. The High Street is becoming even more of a bottleneck on the A23 as it remains a single carriageway

early 1950s

A gap though the center of Handcross has been made and the A23 is now dualed through it. It reconnets back the A23 route just north of the village where it returns to a S2. In terms of access Northbound only had access onto the road network the south of Handcross while southbound would have off slip road to the north of the village and the on slip to the south of the village, both making use of the old route of the A23. However it was likely to be possible to have half or even full access at both.

late 1950s

Road in between Pease Pottage and Handcross is dualed. This section of road does have properties situated along it.

late 1980s

Multiple upgrades along the A23/M23 led to the area being upgraded to D3 and made safer. Between Pease Pottage and Handcross the first 2.5KM would introduce a new carriageway. Original southbound would become a S2 due to it having properties on it and continue the destination of the B2114. While the original northbound was upgraded to three lanes and would become the southbound and a new carriageway would be added to become the Northbound of the A23. After half the distance there is a slip off from the A23 onto the B2114 joining using a roundabout. The next 2KM follows a new route being D3 and the old D2 route is reduced to S2. Here it connects back onto the previous route where it reduced to D2. The old section that connected the new and old routes returned to grass land and a new service station was built on the southern end of it.

2010s

Between 2012 and 2014 as part of the upgrade of the A23 between Handcross and Warninglid Junctions of D2 to D3, there were multiple changes to the junction. The Northbound slip roads were extended. The Southbound slip road, which does have properties on it meaning that the majority of it is two way traffic was changed so the bottom end of it is one way. Previously nothing made it illegal to exit up the slip road (just a really really tight 330 degree bend). The bottom of the slip road is now separated from the A23 until it passes the last property. Also it features a better cycle path which can be used as a shortcut and safer alternative to the National Cycle route which goes via Staplefield.

Future

The Junction isn't great despite its multiple iterations. For example the southbound off is separated from the rest of the connections. It isn't possible to upgrade the 400 meter section to D4 (or D3M) for potential future traffic

Routes

Route	To	Notes
A23	(M23), London, Gatwick Airport, Crawley
A23	Brighton, Cuckfield, Haywards Heath
B2110	Lower Beeding, Cowfold, Horsham (A281)
B2110	Turners Hill, East Grinstead
B2114	Pease Pottage
B2114	Staplefield