There's a lot to unpack here but some quick points.

• I'd bet anything that developing country doesn't have four distinct seasons, including a six month period where the temperature can fluctuate from well below freezing to above 60 degrees Fahrenheit in a week. Unless that changes or we dramatically reduce the size or volume of vehicles, there's never going to some point where potholes don't exist, roads don't need to be resurfaced, etc.
• A lot of that perpetual construction is making up for decades of neglect or decades-old poor design. You seem to be suggesting there's all of this work being done because we're not funding roads properly, but the counter-point is: where do you think the money for that work is coming from exactly?
• There's never been any question of tolls on the ballot that I'm aware of, much less multiple times. It's not a popular idea for plainly obvious reasons. Hell, some people steadfastly opposed the truck tolling that is done solely because they saw it as a gateway for car tolls.
• Right now, that same usage tax is covered by the state / federal gas taxes. As fuel economy improves and hybrids and EVs become more common, it's pretty inevitable that tolls or a mileage tax will replace them. That's not a Rhode Island thing, thats an everywhere thing within the next few decades.